The government on Friday reiterated that the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would not be privatised as recommended by an expert committee, chaired by M.S. Valiathan. The recommendations of the committee would be implemented only after a thorough examination and consultation with all stakeholders.
Replying to a calling attention motion on the situation arising out of the government’s acceptance of the committee’s recommendations on the AIIMS, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad assured the Lok Sabha that there was “no question” of privatisation of the institute.
“We are conscious of the fact that this is one of the premier institutes of the country providing free patient care of highest quality to the poor coming from across the country,” he said.
The government would ensure that it would continue to serve the objectives for which it was established and the interests of the common man would be protected.
Mr. Azad said a majority of the 38 recommendations had been accepted “in principle” by the Institute Body of the AIIMS. But the government was yet to take a final view on the implementation of the recommendations. “The recommendations of the Valiathan Committee were discussed and reviewed by various committees of the AIIMS and placed before the Governing and Institute Bodies of the AIIMS, he said.”
The committee was set up on July 11, 2006 to study the functioning of the AIIMS and to make recommendations for its further development. The committee held wide consultations with experts in medical education, science and technology, humanities, management and industry along with heads of speciality centres, former Directors of the institute, associations of faculty, students, nurses, officers and other groups of the AIIMS and principals of medical colleges in Delhi.
