The Union government’s refusal to sanction an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to Kerala is disappointing. However, the fact that many of the newly established AIIMS across the country are struggling because of the shortage of human resources and infrastructure inadequacies is certainly food for thought, says B. Ekbal, public health activist.
The State’s public health system is at present struggling to cope with the significant challenge posed by the rising burden of morbidities, whereas the private health sector is being taken over by foreign private equity firms, pushing up the cost of healthcare for people. Against this backdrop, the establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala is certainly a welcome prospect for the State’s healthcare sector.
However, not all AIIMS Institutions across the country are doing well. Dr. Ekbal says that of the total of 26 AIIMS sanctioned by the Centre, many are facing severe crises. Only about 18–19 institutes, including AIIMS Delhi and the first-phase establishments like Bhopal and Bhubaneswar, can be said to be functioning relatively well, he points out.
In newer institutes
In the newer AIIMS established at Rajkot and Guwahati, the services are largely limited to outpatient departments and academic classes; surgical departments and in-patient care (IPD) are not yet fully operational. In places like Darbhanga (Bihar) and Awantipora (Kashmir), construction has barely made any progress.
Dr. Ekbal says that the primary challenge facing these new institutions is an acute shortage of doctors. Even in established AIIMS centres, 20% to 30% of the posts remain vacant, leaving newer branches without enough experts to manage specialty departments. Furthermore, infrastructure gaps pose a significant hurdle. Even when buildings are completed, it often takes years to install modern equipment like MRI and PET-CT scanners.
Research suffers
The lack of a functional referral system leads to overcrowding, as patients flock to AIIMS even for primary care that should be handled at local health centres. This hinders both advanced research and specialised treatment. Additionally, the lack of accommodation for patients and families travelling from distant areas remains a major issue, he says.
Thus, even when considering the fact that the State has a strong network of public health centres, there is a real possibility that these very same issues could be re-enacted in Kerala if and when an AIIMS is established here, he cautions.
However, an AIIMS-like institution has been the State’s aspiration for long and any such institution established in Kerala would certainly be nurtured and developed as a premier clinical and advanced research centre, he says.
Published – February 02, 2026 08:30 pm IST
