Kerala HC seeks review of Centre’s criteria for AIIMS

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday questioned the Centre’s stand on the long-pending proposal to establish an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the state, asking whether Kerala’s comparatively better healthcare infrastructure had effectively become a handicap in securing the premier medical institution.

A division bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar was hearing petitions seeking the establishment of AIIMS in Kerala under the



Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

As the Centre said states with weaker healthcare infrastructure were being prioritised and that Kerala already had comparatively better medical facilities, the court took a tough view of the argument and questioned whether the Centre’s position meant that Kerala did not require an AIIMS.

It also questioned whether the presence of a large number of private hospitals could be treated as a disqualification.