Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction with the Union government’s stand on establishing an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the state, bringing back into focus a long-pending demand that resurfaces regularly with renewed expectations and disappointment.
While hearing a petition on the issue, the court questioned the delay in taking a decision and asked whether the Centre had, in principle, decided to set up an AIIMS in Kerala.
Earlier, the High Court had directed the Union government to conduct a feasibility study at the site proposed by the state. During the latest hearing, when the Centre sought four weeks’ time to respond, the bench declined the request and granted two weeks instead.
The court also directed a representative of the Union Health Ministry to appear virtually and clarify the status of the feasibility study.
For Kerala, the promise of an AIIMS has increasingly become a recurring pre-Budget expectation. Each year, ahead of the Union Budget, hopes rise that the premier medical institution will finally be sanctioned for the state — only for the anticipation to fade once again.
Union Minister and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi has repeatedly asserted that an AIIMS will be established in Kerala, keeping expectations alive among supporters.
The state government, however, maintains that it has fulfilled all necessary prerequisites, including identifying and offering suitable land, and has accused the Centre of delaying the process.
Kerala’s absence from the list of states that have secured an AIIMS over the past decade stands out, particularly as several other states have been allotted the premier healthcare and medical education institution during this period.
Health sector experts argue that the establishment of an AIIMS would significantly enhance tertiary care access and strengthen medical research capacity in the state.
With the High Court now seeking time-bound clarity, attention has once again shifted to New Delhi. For a state that takes pride in its healthcare indicators, the prolonged wait for an AIIMS has evolved into both a political flashpoint and a test of Centre-State coordination.
(With IANS inputs)