RIMS budget cut amid upgrade demands, vows
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 02 2024: Amidst the demand by the people and repeated assurances by the state government to upgrade Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to the level of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), budget allocation for the RIMS for the financial year 2024-25 has been reduced.

In the interim Union budget presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, budget allocation for RIMS, one of the premier medical institutes in the North East, was mentioned as Rs 619 crore against Rs 629 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal.

Majority of the institutions under health sector in the North East have been earmarked lesser budget estimates in the interim Union budget-2024-25 than the budget estimates Of the 2023-24 fiscal.

In the year 2023, the budget estimates for the Shillong-based North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) was Rs 528 crore but the budget estimates has been cut to Rs 500 crore in 2024.Budget estimates for Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (Tejpur, Assam) was Rs 63.66 crore in the year 2023 but the same has been reduced to Rs 60 in 2024.The budget estimates for Aizawl-based Regional Institute of Paramedical & Nursing Science, however, increased from Rs 125 crore in 2023 to Rs 130 crore in the year 2024.Notably, Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba had written a letter to the then Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in March, 2021 drawing the latter's attention to upgrade RIMS to the AIIMS level.

The reply of the then Union health minister mentioned that the board of governors of RIMS had convened its 13th meet in 2019 and discussed upgrade of RIMS.

The minister's reply also mentioned that the matter will have to be thoroughly discussed by a committee constituted for the same and recommended submission of a proposal to the ministry.

It may also be mentioned that Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey had during the 52nd Foundation Day celebration of RIMS on September 14, 2023 expressed her desire to upgrade the RIMS to the level of AIIMS and even assured to extend all possible help from her side in this regard.

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