Fish farm plan inside RIMS complex?
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 26 2019: Strange it may sound, but RIMS authority has been reportedly considering about handing over certain section of the medical institute's total 310 acres to some individuals to dig pond for rearing fish.

Notably, all the 310 acres registered in the name of RIMS are congruous.

Sources informed that RIMS authority has been considering to hand over certain section of the total area to some individuals to dig pond for rearing fish.

However, it is not yet clear how large is the area RIMS authority has been considering to set aside for digging fish pond.

RIMS was first known as Regional Medical College (RMC) before it was upgraded and renamed as North Eastern Regional Medical College.

The then Director Fimate and Deputy Director Chandrabir took a pivotal roles to bring the medical college under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The then State Government also extended all possible support to transform the medical college to a Central institute.

The medical college required 310 acres for adoption by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As such, the then Director and the Deputy Director appealed to the State Government to expand the RIMS campus to 310 acres.

Subsequently, the State Government allotted additional land to the medical college thereby expanding its total area to 310 acres.

After the total area of the medical college was expanded to 310 acres, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare adopted the medical college on April 1, 2007 and it was re-registered as Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in place of North Eastern Regional Medical College.

A minimum area of 310 acres were required for any medical institute under the Ministry of Health and Family.

This minimum area is needed for expansion of different blocks.

Most of the existing buildings of the institute's hospital blocks are old ones and they date back to the days of RMC and these buildings need renovation as well as expansion, said the sources.

The hospital block, nursing college and dental college need expansion.

Moreover, super speciality blocks must be constructed for Cardiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Nephrology, Plastic Surgery, Gastroenterology, Haematology etc.

With the passage of time, the existing Psychiatry block would also require expansion.

Treatment of persons with disabilities require not only hospital building but also vacant space.

More quarters and hostels would be required with the passage of time.

There are four types of hospitals in the country namely; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) which are set up under an Act passed by the Parliament; medical colleges set up under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; medical colleges set up by State Governments and private hospitals.

Although RIMS is at present under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, people are hopeful that it would one day become a medical institute set up under the Parliamentary Act, said the sources.

On the other hand, RIMS is known across the country for producing a good number of talented medical professionals.

Given all these facts, the plan to give a section of RIMS campus to private individuals to dig fish pond sounds rather absurd, the sources remarked.

Although RIMS authority has been already considering about giving certain portion of the campus for fish farming, the overall administration of RIMS is done by the institute's executive council.

But even the executive council's decision need approval of the governing body which is headed by the Union Health Minister as Chairman.

As such, the RIMS authority's plan to give away certain portion of the institute's compound would not be final, added the sources.

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