Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Nov 4
Union Health Minister J P Nadda will inaugurate the outpatient department (OPD) block of AIIMS Awantipora on Thursday, marking a major step towards operationalising the long-delayed tertiary-care institute in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Nadda is also scheduled to review the progress of the institute’s second and third phases during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said the OPD block would be dedicated to the people of J&K. Services are expected to begin with support from a functional diagnostic block.
The minister is also scheduled to visit the ARSH Institute of Health Sciences and Technology and interact with students.
Executive Director of AIIMS Kashmir, Dr Sachidananda Mohanty, told Greater Kashmir that efforts were underway to make the institute operational on a fast-track basis.
“OPD services will be started in December this year,” he said.
Mohanty said the retrofitted hospital structure would be ready for patient services by the end of November.
The development marks a significant milestone for a project that has faced repeated delays since its inception, raising concerns among residents, particularly in south Kashmir, who have to travel to Srinagar for specialised medical treatment.
AIIMS Awantipora has been developed at a revised estimated cost of more than Rs 2,160 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The institute is envisaged as a 750-bed tertiary-care facility offering specialised medical services. It is also expected to strengthen medical education and research infrastructure in Kashmir.
In September last year, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said the institute would become fully functional by the end of 2026, with OPD services and MBBS classes expected to begin earlier.
However, the institute was not allotted any MBBS seats this year.
While Abdullah had earlier expressed hope that inpatient services would begin by November-December 2026, the current schedule envisages the commencement of OPD services during this period.
A recent review by the Pulwama district administration stressed the need to introduce OPD and essential services in phases rather than waiting for the entire project to be completed.
Officials said the institute comprises 57 buildings, several of which are still under construction.
Phase-II works, including academic and allied infrastructure, are targeted for completion by the end of November, while major components under Phase III are scheduled for completion by June 2027.
The administration has also emphasised making laboratory and diagnostic facilities operational alongside the OPD to ensure patients can access essential investigations from the outset.
