TENKASI: Construction of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai has been completed only 47 per cent, according to a reply from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by a social activist from Tenkasi district.
Pandiyaraja, a social activist from Thippanampatti village near Pavoorchathiram in Tenkasi district, had submitted eight questions under the RTI Act seeking details about the progress of the Madurai AIIMS project.
In its reply, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that the estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,021 crore and that Rs 471 crore has been released so far by the Union government through the central budget.
The ministry also said the construction work is scheduled to be completed by October 2026.
Pandiyaraja stated that proper responses were not provided for five of the eight questions raised in the RTI application.
He further said that reports had circulated on social media and in some media outlets that certain completed portions of the project might be inaugurated by the Prime Minister as early as March. However, he said the hospital should be opened only after the entire construction is completed and made ready for public use.
He also pointed out that although the AIIMS Madurai project was launched on May 22, 2024, students admitted to the AIIMS medical college are currently studying at the Government Medical College in Ramanathapuram.
According to him, there is a possibility that these students may complete their course without studying at the AIIMS campus, as the hospital construction is still under way.
Pandiyaraja urged the authorities to ensure quality construction, secure the required funds from Japan, and expedite the works so that the hospital can be opened at the earliest.