Former Minister Credits Nadda’s Efforts as AIIMS Bilaspur Delivers Results

Former cabinet minister Rajendra Garg has described the establishment of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bilaspur as an achievement of Jagat Prakash Nadda’s efforts, saying the institute has now moved beyond an announcement and is delivering visible results in Himachal Pradesh.

Garg, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former food supplies minister, said the President handing degrees to the first batch of students of AIIMS Bilaspur was not merely a convocation ceremony. He called it a picture of the larger political and developmental commitment for Himachal Pradesh, whose foundation was laid through the efforts of Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda.

He said the dream of bringing AIIMS to Bilaspur and the efforts made at the Centre for the project were the result of J.P. Nadda’s political will. According to Garg, the first batch of students graduating from the institute shows that AIIMS Bilaspur has not remained limited to a declaration. Instead, the institution is continuing to move forward in the fields of medical education and healthcare.

Garg said the people of Himachal Pradesh should remember that getting a national-level institution such as AIIMS in Bilaspur was not an ordinary achievement. He said continuous efforts and advocacy were made at the Centre for the project. The degrees being awarded to students by the President, he added, were the result of those efforts.

“The biggest benefit is reaching the common people”

The former minister said the biggest benefit of AIIMS Bilaspur was being received by the general public. He said thousands of people were receiving healthcare services at the institute every day.

Earlier, people from Himachal Pradesh had to travel to Delhi, Chandigarh and other major cities for the treatment of serious and life-threatening illnesses, Garg said. This involved considerable expenditure of time and money for patients and their families. With advanced healthcare facilities now available at AIIMS Bilaspur, people are getting better treatment closer to home, he said.

Garg added that the availability of treatment in Bilaspur was helping people save not only on medical expenses but also on the time spent travelling. He said AIIMS had given Bilaspur a new identity in the field of healthcare.

The benefit of the institute, he said, was not limited to Bilaspur district. People from different districts of Himachal Pradesh were also reaching AIIMS Bilaspur for treatment. Garg said the need for people to travel outside the state for the treatment of serious illnesses and for specialist healthcare services had reduced compared with the past.

The former minister said the real picture of development was visible on the ground. He described the journey from the beginning of classes at AIIMS Bilaspur to the first batch of students receiving their degrees as an example of this. On one side, he said, there were major projects received by Himachal Pradesh from the Centre, while on the other, people in the state were themselves comparing the pace of development.

“Employment and self-employment opportunities have also increased”

Rajendra Garg said AIIMS had increased employment and self-employment opportunities in Bilaspur along with healthcare facilities. People connected with taxis, hotels, roadside eateries, shops and other small businesses had received direct benefits from the institute, he said.

According to Garg, AIIMS was now not only a healthcare institution but was also becoming a major centre giving momentum to Bilaspur’s economy. He said the presence and expansion of the institute were creating benefits for a range of small businesses linked to the movement of patients, their families, students and others connected with AIIMS.

Garg said J.P. Nadda’s objective was to place AIIMS Bilaspur on a level equal to the country’s other major AIIMS institutions. He expressed hope that this goal would be achieved in the coming period, pointing to the expansion of facilities and infrastructure at the institute.

He said the story of AIIMS Bilaspur also highlighted the difference between the development vision of the Centre and that of the state. Today, the institution is providing medical degrees to students from Himachal Pradesh and modern treatment to patients, Garg said.

The role of J.P. Nadda among those who laid the foundation for the institution, he added, could not be forgotten. According to the former minister, the first batch receiving degrees and patients getting access to modern treatment showed how the project had progressed from its initial conception to a functioning institution serving the state.