SAMBA, Nov 7: Marking another milestone in the development of advanced healthcare infrastructure in the Union Territory of J&K, Union Minister of State in PMO with Independent charge of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Ministries, Dr. Jitendra Singh on Saturday inaugurated new modular Operation Theatre (OT) Complex comprising eight theatres at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jammu at Vijaypur.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the function, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Jammu and Kashmir is the only UT to have two AIIMS, made possible through the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the development of AIIMS Jammu is bringing advanced healthcare infrastructure closer to people, particularly in regions that earlier had limited access to specialised medical services.
The Minister said even the bigger States of the country don’t have two AIIMs. But sanctioning of two AIIMS for J&K became possible only with the personnal intervention of PM Modi who took keen interest in the development of this State which was neglected by earlier Congress Governments at Centre.
Dr Jitendra Singh said there is an ecosystem of education with institutions of different disciplines providing opportunity of Interdisciplinary Medical Education.
The Minister said Jammu has emerged as hub of integrated interdisciplinary Medical education.
Taking a dig at Congress, he said that the foundation stone of AIIMS at Jammu was earlier laid during the Government of Atal Behari Vajpayee by then Union Health Minister, Sushma Swaraj, which was removed after UPA came to power at Centre by the then Health and Medical Education Minister of J&K Government. He later laid another foundation stone on his own name. But the construction of AIIMS did not take place during 10 years of UPA rule.
Soon after coming to power in 2014, Narendra Modi has compensated the erstwhile State not with one but by sanctioning two AIIMS, one at Vijaypur in Samba district and another at Awantipora in Kashmir Valley. Besides, Modi Government sanctioned IIT, IIM, Institute of Mass Communication and seven medical colleges for the UT. The J&K which up to 2014 had only two to three Government medical colleges has now 10 medical colleges.
He also lambasted the Opposition parties of misleading people that no development has taken place during last 12 years. Dr Jitendra Singh said that country had only eight AIIMS up to 2014 whose number has increased to 23 in last 12 years of Modi rule. Besides, the number of medical colleges which was 387 in the country up to 2014 with 51,384 MBBS seats their number has also increased to over 800 medical colleges with 1,36,000+ MBBS seats. This shows commitment of PM towards his Viksit Bharat Mission, Dr Jitendra Singh added.
Addressing the gathering earlier, Dr. Jitendra Singh appreciated the progress made by AIIMS Jammu in less than a decade, both in terms of the development of infrastructure and the introduction of a wide range of specialty and super-specialty services and academic programmes. He said that with most super-specialty departments now operational and postgraduate and post-doctoral courses, including MD, MS, DM and MCh, having been initiated, AIIMS Jammu is steadily emerging as a major centre for advanced medical education, healthcare and research in this part of the country.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the newly inaugurated facilities, at the OT Complex, will substantially enhance the institute’s surgical capacity, facilitate advanced and specialised surgical procedures, reduce waiting time for surgeries and strengthen the delivery of comprehensive tertiary healthcare services. The expanded infrastructure will provide greater opportunities for complex surgical interventions and further strengthen AIIMS Jammu’s role to provide quality healthcare to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and neighbouring regions, he said.
The Minister observed that the institute has witnessed sustained development of its infrastructure, with the latest medical equipment, modern operation theatres and digital facilities placing it among the state-of-the-art medical institutions.
The Minister discussed the faculty position and the need to strengthen specialised human resources in view of the expanding range of super-specialty services and academic programmes. He said that the requirements of specialised faculty would need to be supplemented and assured that the proposals in this regard would be taken up by the concerned authorities for appropriate consideration.
Highlighting India’s growing capabilities in medical science and research, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the country is emerging as a global leader in preventive healthcare, biotechnology and medical innovation. He referred to the development of the world’s first DNA vaccine for COVID-19 and the ongoing pipeline of vaccines for diseases such as HPV, dengue, malaria and tuberculosis as examples of India’s expanding research capabilities.
The Minister also highlighted the growing importance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, genomics and biotechnology, in transforming healthcare delivery and medical research. He referred to initiatives such as the India Genome Project and the national endeavour to sequence one million genomes, stating that advances in genomics and molecular biology would open new avenues for personalised medicine, disease prevention and targeted treatment.
He stressed that preventive healthcare must remain a key national priority, adding that preserving the health and productive potential of the country’s youth is essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The Minister subsequently held an interactive session with faculty members and students of AIIMS Jammu. The lively interaction witnessed participation from students and faculty, who raised various queries on medical education, research, emerging technologies and career opportunities. Dr. Jitendra Singh responded to their questions and shared his views on the expanding opportunities in medical science and the role of young professionals in strengthening India’s healthcare ecosystem.
President AIIMS Jammu, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) C. S. Narayanan, described the inauguration of the new modular operation theatre complex as another milestone in the institute’s journey towards providing advanced healthcare services.
Executive Director and CEO, AIIMS Jammu, Prof. (Dr.) Sanjeev Sinha, highlighted the institute’s efforts towards continuously upgrading its infrastructure and expanding advanced healthcare facilities. He said that the new operation theatre complex would further strengthen the institute’s capacity to provide specialised medical services to patients from Jammu and Kashmir and neighbouring regions.
The event was also attended by senior administration, faculty members, doctors, nursing officers, students and staff of the institute.
