PRAGATI fast-tracks AIIMS push, brings tertiary care closer to heartland | India News

NEW DELHI: Three long-delayed AIIMS projects—in Telangana’s Bibinagar, Assam’s Guwahati and Jammu—have moved decisively from delay to delivery after sustained intervention through the Centre’s PRAGATI platform, underscoring how high-level monitoring is reshaping access to advanced healthcare beyond major metros.Official sources said the projects gathered pace after being taken up on PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation), a digital monitoring platform that brings Union ministries, state governments and local authorities onto a single dashboard, flags bottlenecks in real time and fixes deadlines through direct review by the Prime Minister.In Telangana, AIIMS Bibinagar gained momentum after a PRAGATI review in June 2023 unlocked long-pending issues related to assured water supply and permanent high-tension power. These hurdles were resolved in May 2025 through coordinated Centre–state action, pushing physical progress to nearly 86% and keeping the project on track for completion by June 2026. The institute is expected to emerge as a major hub for tertiary care, medical education and employment in the region.In the Northeast, AIIMS Guwahati—the region’s first AIIMS—was completed in 2023 after PRAGATI interventions helped resolve delays linked to land development, electricity, stormwater management and water supply. The 750-bed hospital now offers 25 specialty and 11 super-specialty services, with nearly 60% of patients receiving free treatment under Ayushman Bharat, significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs for vulnerable households.A similar last-mile push helped AIIMS Jammu overcome hurdles that threatened to delay commissioning despite near-complete construction. Issues such as relocation of a cremation ground and pending utility connections were taken up through PRAGATI in mid-2023, leading to time-bound action by the Union Territory administration. The institute was commissioned in November 2024 and now serves patients across Jammu & Kashmir and neighbouring regions.At the 50th PRAGATI meeting on December 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Viksit Bharat@2047 is a time-bound national resolve and described PRAGATI as a key accelerator that breaks bureaucratic silos and enforces accountability across Centre, state and district administrations.Officials said the three AIIMS projects illustrate how PRAGATI has converted complex, multi-agency healthcare infrastructure from stalled works into operational hospitals. Beyond expanding bed capacity, the institutes are strengthening medical education, research and regional employment, easing pressure on existing centres and bringing quality care closer to people’s homes.