Proposal by the Indian government to name all 23 AIIMS after historical figures and freedom fighters. The government has decided to name each of the 23 AIIMS, including the one in Delhi, after local heroes, independence fighters, significant historical events or local landmarks, or their distinct geographic identities.
The Union Health Ministry has produced a proposal to assign specific names to all AIIMS that are fully operational, partially operational, and under construction, and it is rumoured that a plan to name India’s premier medical institutes after local heroes is under consideration.
Each of the new AIIMS has proposed between three and four names for the categories of local heroes, independence fighters, unsung heroes, and historical monuments. The Union Health Ministry and Family has also requested an explanation for the proposed names.
Others are being constructed as part of the PradhanMantriSwasthyaYojana (PMSSY) and are known as AIIMS. The only difference between them is their location.
Names have been suggested for AIIMS Bhopal, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, AIIMS Jodhpur, AIIMS Patna, AIIMS Raipur, AIIMS Rishikesh, AIIMS Nagpur, AIIMS Raebareli, and AIIMS Madurai.
Notably, Phase 1 of PMSSY authorised and fully operationalized six new AIIMS in the states of Bihar (Patna), Chhattisgarh (Raipur), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Odisha (Bhubaneswar), Rajasthan (Jodhpur), and Uttarakhand (Rishikesh).
Among the sixteen AIIMS established between 2015 and 2022, ten colleges have initiated MBBS programmes and outpatient department services. While only MBBS classes have begun in two institutes, the remaining four are in various stages of development.