SRINAGAR: One hundred MBBS students will soon begin their academic sessions at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Awantipora, while its Out Patient Department (OPD) is also expected to become operational shortly, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters after Union Health Minister JP Nadda visited the institute, Itoo said he had conducted a detailed assessment of the ongoing works and announced that the number of MBBS students to be admitted had been increased from the earlier 50 to 100.
She described the announcement as a significant development, expressing hope that the commencement of academic activities and OPD services would strengthen healthcare facilities in the Valley.
Itoo said the opening of the OPD would particularly benefit patients who currently have to travel long distances to access specialised medical treatment.
She thanked Nadda for directing officials to expedite the process of making the institution operational.
The minister said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had visited the project site several times over the past two years to review its progress. She added that she had accompanied him on these visits as part of efforts to ensure the timely completion and operationalisation of the institute.
