9.6% rise in grants for AIIMS; Safdarjung sees dip in allocations

New Delhi, February 2

The Central Government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Kalawati Saran Children Hospital and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in the national capital saw a marginal increase in the budgetary allocations this year.

However, the proposed grant for Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) were decreased in the Interim Budget announced on Thursday.

A sum of Rs 4,523 crore has been allocated for AIIMS, registering an increase of 9.6 per cent (Rs 397.33 crore) as compared to the last year when it was Rs 4,134.67 crore.

Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has been allocated Rs 1,610 crore, a marginal increase from 2023-2024 when the hospital received a grant of Rs 1,272.18 crore.

Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital also received a marginal uptick in the allocation this year as it received a grant of Rs 180 crore while it was Rs 168.53 crore last year.

Meanwhile, grant for Safdarjung Hospital has been decreased from Rs 1,853.34 crore in 2023-2024 to Rs 1,834 crore this year. The amount has been granted to the hospital and its associated Vardhman Mahavir Medical College.

LHMC and its associated Smt Sucheta Kriplani Hospital also saw a reduction in the Budget allocation from Rs 768.15 crore in 2023-2024 to Rs 750 crore this year.

Establishment of new AIIMS in different cities has been one of the biggest programmes of the Union Government. However, the budget estimates for the establishment expenditure of 22 new AIIMS located in different states have been declined from Rs 6,835 crore last year to Rs 6,800 crore for FY 2024-25.

Requesting anonymity, a senior doctor at AIIMS, New Delhi, said, “The budgetary allocation will be spent on salaries of the staff and the procurement of modern equipment like MRI, surgical tools, microscopes, and ultrasound machines among others.”