The hospital that grew from a forest

Vijayawada: The sprawling campus of All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh, which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with four other AIIMS centres across India from Rajkot on Sunday, was once upon a time a reserve forest.

The Prime Minister along with AIIMS-Mangalagiri also inaugurated virtually the microbiology testing laboratory based in Visakhapatnam and four mobile food testing laboratories across Andhra Pradesh on a virtual mode. He also laid the foundation stone for nine more critical care blocks for various AIIMS centres. All these projects involved an investment of about Rs 1858 crore.

After the denotified land was allotted for the prestigious institute, construction began in an area of 183 acres at a cost of Rs 1618.23 crore. The foundation stone was laid on December 19, 2015 and hospital for advanced care and research was thrown open to the public in 2018. Initially, it was functioning at a temporary campus at Siddhartha Medical College at Vijayawada, about 15 km from the permanent campus. The institute was sanctioned as part of a promise made during the bifurcation.

Today, the hospital has turned into the largest and most advanced affordable critical care institute in AP after the construction of 41 broad and super-speciality departments. “So far we have admitted 20,000 in-patients out of which 12,000 were with critical ailments,” AIIMS Mangalagiri Director and CEO Dr Madhabananda Kar, said. At present, the campus has radio-diagnosis, nuclear medicine cancer care, dialysis unit, blood bank and telemedicine facilities. He said the hospital is receiving 4,500 out-patients per day and in the past nine months has recorded a footfall of nine lakh patients.

The AIIMS at Mangalagiri has 960 beds with 125 medical seats. It has an academic block, teaching hospital, OPD, IPD, Ayush block, emergency services, quarters, hostels, auditorium, guesthouse, playground and other facilities.

The formal function held at Mangalagiri to mark the inauguration was graced by Governor Justice S Abdul Nazeer, Union Ministers for Coal Prahlad Joshi, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar, AP Minister for Health Vidadala Rajini, Lok Sabha member Dr B Satyavati, Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao and BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari.

The Governor said the dedication of the AIIMS to the nation was a fulfilment of a long awaited dream of the people from the State. He said the institute is a big asset for the people. He said within a short time, AIIMS Mangalagiri became operational and played a key role during Covid-19.

Pawar in his address said the Centre is committed to improve healthcare infrastructure all over India and gave credit to Modi for sanctioning AIIMS for AP and completing its construction on a fast-track mode. Joshi said India will be the world’s third largest economy soon due to proactive policies being implemented by the Government of India.

In her brief address, Rajini said the hospital has become a premier institute for health care in AP and pointed out how the project has been developed with free allotment of land by the State Government with the support of the Centre.