Sengipatti, Madurai raise pitch for AIIMS
Times of India Trichy Updated: May 23, 2017, 12.16AM IST
Trichy: The call for setting up the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Sengipatti on the Trichy-Thanjavur border has grown shriller in the central region in the wake of apprehensions about the 'moves' to hijack the project to Madurai.
Sengipatti in Thanjavur was one of the five locations identified by the state government in 2014 for setting up the premier medical college of higher learning.
The government finalised the site after the Central and state teams of officials visited Sengipatti, Chengalpattu in Kancheepuram, Pudukkottai town, Perundurai in Erode and Thoppur in Madurai in 2015. This was after the BJP-led government at the Centre approved the establishment of an AIIMS in Tamil Nadu.
In February this year, chief minister Edappadi K Palanisami went a step ahead and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up the AIIMS at Sengipatti considering several aspects.
People in the region felt were elated at the state government's preference for Sengipatti as it was located in central Tamil Nadu. However, news about the alleged efforts of BJP functionaries to wean the premier institute away to Madurai has come as a shocker for the them.
Expressing their dissatisfaction at the alleged move, the federation of consumer and service organisations had passed resolutions against the efforts. "There are reports that some people are attempting to hijack the AIIMS to Madurai where a 320-bedded speciality block of AIIMS is set for inauguration shortly. The central part of Tamil Nadu is lagging behind southern districts in terms of medical facilities. Further, Sengipatti would be the suitable place for the AIIMS as it will be accessible to anyone in any part of the state," said the president of the organisation M Sekaran.
The organisation also resolved to urge the Union government to reject the undue pressure being exerted by some persons to shift the location to Madurai. They are also planning to meet the union minister from Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan to put forth their demand during his proposed visit to Trichy on May 28. Medical professionals also preferred Sengipatti as the best choice for setting up AIIMS.
"Chennai is a medical hub for northern districts while Madurai has a lot of facilities for the people of southern districts. But central region has no such facilities. The choice of the state government to set up AIIMS at Sengipatti is spot on because of the connectivity by road and air to the hospital from any part of the state," said former vice-principal of KAP Viswanatham government medical college (KAPVGMC) in Trichy Dr MA Aleem. Repeated attempts to contact Trichy Lok Sabha MP P Kumar of AIADM. K went in vain.
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