Manipur Health Minister S Ranjan deferred providing concrete answers to several pressing health and medical student issues during the Manipur Legislative Assembly session.
This deferral came in response to a series of questions posed by opposition MLA O Surjakumar.
Despite the passage of two years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the establishment of the 24th AIIMS campus in Manipur under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme on March 1, 2022, the state has yet to receive any official communication from the Centre; Minister S Ranjan revealed this information while responding to a starred question from MLA Surjakumar.
Surjakumar followed up with a supplementary question, inquiring about the delay and suggesting the establishment of a new AIIMS, rather than upgrading RIMS or JNIMS, to protect the local students’ quota.
In response, the minister stated that the state has been persistently urging the Centre for the necessary steps.
However, he acknowledged uncertainty over whether the proposal submitted by the state meets the required criteria.
Addressing the suggestion, Ranjan mentioned that the feasibility of opening a new AIIMS needs to be thoroughly evaluated, considering the requirement for new faculty and staff.
The Opposition MLA also raised the issue of the reinstatement of charges for 57 laboratory tests previously available for free at RIMS, causing public inconvenience as JNIMS, where testing remains free, lacks adequate equipment.
He stressed the urgency of making these tests free again at RIMS for the public’s convenience.
Surjakumar further addressed the plight of 95 out of 99 students from Churachandpur Medical College, who are currently attending classes at JNIMS.
He highlighted a severe shortage of faculty for three main second-year subjects and the absence of a Pathology teacher.
Additionally, despite paying hostel fees during admission, these students are privately bearing the costs of rent and accommodation, excluding those with quotas, the MLA pointed out urging the government to intervene and alleviate these students’ burdens.
He also raised concerns about the students’ certificates, currently held by Churachandpur Medical College, and requested their safe return to Imphal.
In response, Health minister S Ranjan acknowledged the issues but deferred providing answers, stating he would address them later during the discussion and voting on demands for grants for the Health Department.
