The union health ministry will seek cabinet approval to set up six institutions in the country like the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMMS) here at a cost of Rs.2.85 billion a hospital.
The proposal to set up six AIIMS-like referral hospitals was approved by the previous government but was up for review after the new Congress-led administration took charge.
Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh were identified as the locations for the new apex healthcare institutes.
The proposal to set up the new institutions under the "Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna was considered by the expenditure finance committee Nov 24 and will now be placed before the cabinet committee on economic affairs for approval," Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi said Wednesday.
"Pending approval, start-up activities like construction of boundary wall, the process for selecting project consultant for providing comprehensive consultancy service and selection of architectural concepts" have been started, Lakshmi told the Lok Sabha.
The tentative cost of setting up each institution has been estimated at around Rs.2.85 billion, along with an annual recurring cost of Rs.600 million, she said.
Lakshmi said Rs.60 million had been spent so far on constructing the boundary wall of the proposed institutes.
"The hospitals are expected to become operational three years from the date of commencement of construction," she said.
--Indo-Asian News Service