Is Keralam’s better healthcare a handicap in allotting AIIMS, HC asks Centre

The Kerala High Court questioned the Union government's decision on whether the state's superior healthcare facilities could be considered a hindrance in establishing an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala. The court's inquiry arose while reviewing writ petitions challenging the allocation of an AIIMS hospital under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

Deputy Solicitor General OM Shalina argued that the government prioritized states with weaker healthcare infrastructure, claiming that Kerala had better healthcare facilities. Consequently, the bench questioned whether the state of Kerala needed an AIIMS, and if not, why? The court also dismissed the presence of numerous private hospitals in the state as a reason for disqualification, asserting that Kerala's high population density warranted an AIIMS.

The Centre's response to the bench mentioned that the proposal to extend the PMSSY for an additional five years was currently under inter-ministerial consultations. However, the court criticized the government for not making a decision on the matter, which had been pending for over a decade. The proposal was first submitted to the government in 2016, and the Kerala government had identified potential locations for the multi-specialty hospital.

The court urged the Union government to take a deliberate decision, considering the state's needs and the prolonged waiting period for the AIIMS proposal.