New Delhi: The Centre has reiterated in the Lok Sabha that the proposal to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala has not received approval, without providing any indication of when such a decision might be taken.

The response came after Congress MPs Kodikunnil Suresh and Adoor Prakash raised questions regarding the status of the proposal, including details of locations suggested by the Kerala government and whether any timeline existed for approval.

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What the Centre said

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav stated that the proposal for establishing AIIMS in Kerala “has not been approved.” He also noted that the Kerala government had identified land in Kinalur in Kozhikode in 2025 for the proposed project.

The Minister further referenced earlier proposals from the state, including suggested locations in Kinalur (Kozhikode), Kattakkada (Thiruvananthapuram), and districts such as Kottayam and Ernakulam.

However, the reply did not include reasons for the delay or any concrete timeline for approval or implementation.

Questions raised by MPs

The MPs had sought clarification on several points, including whether the Centre had received proposals from the Kerala government, the current status of those proposals, and whether AIIMS would be sanctioned without delay.

They also asked for details on possible timelines and reasons for the prolonged delay, citing the long-standing demand for an AIIMS in the state and the need for advanced healthcare infrastructure.

The demand for an AIIMS in Kerala has become a political issue ahead of the state Assembly elections, with parties raising concerns over the absence of a premier central healthcare institution in the state.

Earlier discussions in Parliament have also highlighted the issue, including queries about budget allocations for AIIMS institutions across the country. Responses from the Centre have not specifically addressed Kerala in those instances.

The Kerala government has reportedly submitted multiple proposals over the years. In 2016, several potential locations were identified and proposed. In 2019, the Union Health Ministry had also reportedly sought “in-principle” approval from the Finance Ministry for establishing an AIIMS in Kerala.

Despite these developments, no formal approval has been granted so far, and the Centre continues to maintain that the proposal remains under consideration without a defined timeline.

The absence of an AIIMS in Kerala continues to be a point of debate, particularly given the state’s healthcare needs and its role as a medical hub. The issue is expected to remain part of broader discussions around healthcare infrastructure and federal allocations in the coming period.