Hyderabad: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Thursday reviewed the progress of AIIMS Bibinagar in Telangana, highlighting the Centre’s continued focus on expanding quality healthcare, medical education, and research across the country.
Established under Phase VII of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), AIIMS Bibinagar was sanctioned in 2019, with construction beginning in 2022 at an estimated cost of ₹1,110.55 crore. The institute is steadily evolving into a major healthcare and medical education hub for the region.
During the review meeting, Nadda said India’s healthcare landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. He noted that while the country had only one All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by the end of the 20th century, the network has now expanded to 23 institutions. Of these, 18 are operational, while the remaining are at various stages of development.
The Union Minister said the government’s strategy has been to build a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem by strengthening tertiary care institutions alongside primary and secondary healthcare services. He also highlighted the expansion of 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which are now providing healthcare services to nearly 1.5 billion people, and pointed out that the number of medical colleges has more than doubled from 387 in 2014 to 820 today.
Officials informed the Minister that AIIMS Bibinagar currently has 132 faculty members, 133 senior residents, and 902 students enrolled across undergraduate, postgraduate, nursing, and allied health science programmes. The institute offers postgraduate education in 24 MD disciplines and five super-speciality courses, while its MBBS and nursing programmes continue to expand.
The hospital has significantly strengthened its clinical services and now attends to nearly 1,800 outpatients every day across major medical specialties. It also operates a 250-bed inpatient facility, with emergency services recently becoming operational. Advanced diagnostic services, including CT, MRI, DEXA scanning, and laboratory investigations, are available on campus. Telemedicine services through the e-Sanjeevani platform connect patients across all 33 districts of Telangana, while around 90 per cent of patients are registered under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
AIIMS Bibinagar has also emerged as a growing centre for medical research. The institute has secured research funding worth ₹64 crore through 129 projects and has published more than 1,150 research papers. It is also collaborating with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on the development of the ADIDOC carbon-impregnated prosthetic leg, aimed at improving mobility solutions.
Highlighting the institute’s outreach efforts, Nadda praised its community healthcare initiatives. AIIMS Bibinagar has adopted six villages, organised 547 mobile medical camps, and provided healthcare services to over 66,000 patients through its Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) and Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC). The institute has also launched a community radio station that broadcasts health awareness and educational programmes to nearby communities.
Reviewing the infrastructure development, officials informed the Minister that 87.4 per cent of the construction work, valued at approximately ₹902 crore, has been completed. Several key facilities, including hospital blocks, academic buildings, hostels, the AYUSH complex, and residential infrastructure, are already operational, while the radiotherapy unit and operation theatre complex are expected to be completed soon.
During the meeting, Nadda stressed the need to further strengthen human resources by recruiting more senior residents and expediting faculty appointments. He recommended holding Standing Selection Committee meetings more frequently to address vacancies and encouraged faculty exchange programmes among AIIMS institutions, along with greater participation of visiting faculty to enhance academic excellence.
Following the review, the Union Minister toured the institute’s inpatient wards, cardiology department, advanced radiology facilities, AYUSH block, vaccination centre, yoga centre, and community radio station. He also inspected the ongoing construction work across the campus and expressed confidence that AIIMS Bibinagar would continue to grow as a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery, medical education, research, and community service.
