India News | HC Seeks Reply on PIL Seeking AIIMS Like Institution in Prayagraj

Prayagraj, Jul 17 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has asked the Union Health Ministry whether the central government has any plans to establish a premier healthcare institution similar to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Prayagraj.

A bench comprising justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Manish Kumar Nigam was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Sahaj-Sarathi Foundation and another entity, highlighting the "inadequacy" of medical facilities and infrastructure in the city.

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The petitioners contended that with a population of over 5.9 million as per the 2011 Census, the city urgently needs improved medical facilities.

It was argued that the city is a major administrative and educational hub housing the Allahabad High Court, the Commissioner of four districts, and several central and state government establishments.

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It was contended that despite its prominence, Prayagraj's medical facilities are severely lacking as the existing Medical College and TB Sapru Hospital, both state-run institutions, offer "subpar" medical services.

An affidavit was also filed in the court highlighting the alleged dilapidated conditions of the hospital buildings and the inadequacies of the medical services provided.

The petitioners also submitted that Prayagraj meets most of the criteria outlined in the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, which aims to address regional imbalances in tertiary healthcare and enhance medical education facilities.

Given these factors, they argued that the Centre should establish an AIIMS-like institute in Prayagraj to provide specialised tertiary medical services.

After hearing the counsel for the petitioners on Monday, the court directed, "The Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi to file his affidavit and apprise the court if the central government proposes to set up an AIIMS-like institute in the city of Prayagraj.

"We may observe that this is not an adversarial litigation and while directing the first respondent to file his affidavit, we hope and trust that the actual conditions prevailing in the city with regard to the availability of medical services be considered in an objective manner and the decision of the government be informed to the court."

The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 1, 2024.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)