SRINAGAR, Nov 4 (Agencies): Union Health Minister JP Nadda will inaugurate the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday at 10 am, top sources said.
Sources said preparations for the inauguration ceremony have been made, with the Union Health Minister scheduled to formally inaugurate the healthcare institution on November 5.
The AIIMS Awantipora project, sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), has been developed at a revised estimated cost of over Rs 2,160 crore.
The institute, planned as a 750-bed tertiary healthcare facility, is expected to strengthen specialised medical services, medical education and research infrastructure in Kashmir.
The project has faced repeated delays since its approval, with construction and infrastructure development being reviewed at different levels by the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Once fully operational, the institute is expected to reduce the burden on existing tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar and provide advanced healthcare facilities to patients from south Kashmir and other parts of the Valley.
Sources said the inauguration would mark a significant step towards making the institution functional, while the commissioning of individual departments and specialised services would depend on their operational readiness.
The detailed programme and the range of medical services to be made available immediately after the inauguration were not officially specified.