Madras high court says it expects Centre will take steps to establish AIIMS Madurai in 36 months

MADURAI: Taking into account that no substantial progress has been made for establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Madurai, the Madras high court on Tuesday observed that it expects that the Centre will take appropriate steps to establish AIIMS here at the earliest, preferably within 36 months.
A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice B Pugalendhi observed that progress with regard to establishment of AIIMS in Madurai is not going on at an expected speed. While the other proposals for establishments of AIIMS in various places are progressing well, substantial progress has not been made with regard to establishing AIIMS in Madurai though it was stated that the construction would be completed within 45 months.
The judges observed that as rightly pointed out by the petitioner, for each and every step, he (the petitioner) has to approach the court for obtaining suitable orders for establishment of AIIMS in Madurai. The judges observed that the court expects that the Centre, without waiting for court orders, would take steps to establish AIIMS at Madurai at the earliest. The judges also directed the Centre to expedite the process of appointment of project consultant for establishment of AIIMS at the earliest.
The court passed the order while disposing of a public interest litigation filed by K K Ramesh of Madurai, a litigant appearing as party-in-person seeking for a direction to the Centre to allocate sufficient funds and to speed up construction work for the establishment of AIIMS in Madurai.
Medical admission
Assistant solicitor general L Victoria Gowri appearing for the Centre, on Tuesday, informed the court that the state had assured to extend support to admission of 50 students on a temporary campus in government medical colleges in Theni or Sivaganga districts. Since the state sought a specific proposal from AIIMS in this regard, AIIMS Madurai executive director Dr Mangu Hanumantha Rao had sent a communication dated August 6 to the State health secretary.
She stated that in the communication that the executive director had stated that they would be ready to commence MBBS admissions for AIIMS Madurai, if the state provides all the required infrastructure facilities on either one of the suggested temporary campuses, keeping in mind that NEET for MBBS would be held on September 12.
Senior counsel Veera Kathiravan, appearing for the state, sought time to get the government’s response in this regard.
Taking into account the submissions, a division bench of Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice K Murali Shankar directed the Centre to file a counter before the court on the communication sent by the executive director and also directed the state to file its response for the communication sent by the executive director. The case was adjourned to September 13 for further hearing.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by K Pushpavanam of Madurai, seeking to establish a temporary campus for AIIMS Madurai to provide OPD services to people and also sought to commence conducting MBBS courses on a temporary campus similar to that provided in other AIIMSes in the country.