Madurai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday laid the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Thoppur near here at a cost of Rs 1,264 crore, the first such facility in Tamilnadu.
He also unveiled super speciality blocks at State-run medical colleges in Madurai, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli through video conference facility. These blocs would have high-tech diagnostic equipment and facilities including Cath lab.
The proposed 750-bed modern AIIMS here, on its completion, will also offer 100 MBBS seats. On the occasion, Modi also dedicated 12 passport “seva kendras”.
Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister said that his government’s priority is to make health care is affordable. “The NDA government is giving great priority to the health sector so that everyone is healthy and the healthcare is affordable. Today I am happy to inaugurate the super speciality hospitals in Madurai, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli,” he said.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami thanked the Prime Minister for providing the AIIMS facility to Tamilnadu and urged upon the Centre to set up a medical college at the backward Ramanathapuram district.
Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said AIIMS here would greatly benefit the people of southern backward districts of Tamilnadu adding all necessary infrastructure will be developed in the region. The Madurai AIIMS was given Union Cabinet approval in December, 2018.
Palaniswami had assured the State’s full support to facilitate early commencement and completion of the project for realising late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s dream. When the Centre announced in its 2014-15 budget that new AIIMS would be set up in various parts of the country, Jayalalithaa had requested one such facility for Tamilnadu.
Following her plea, the Centre announced in the 2015-16 budget that an AIIMS would be set up in the State. After a prolonged process, the authorities zeroed in on the Thoppur near here for locating the AIIMS.
Earlier, Narendra Modi arrived in Madurai to take part in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the AIIMS hospital by a special aircraft this morning. He was welcomed by Governor Banwarilal Purohit at the Madurai International airport.
He was escorted to the venue of the event amid tight security by the police via road. Edappadi K Palaniswami, O Panneerselvam, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and many other Ministers from the State and the centre were present at the inauguration.
| Twitter war |
| Narendra Modi’s visit to Madurai has led to a virtual war breaking out on Twitter over his trip. The hashtags #MaduraiThanksModi, #TNWelcomesModi and #GoBackModi were trending. Under the hashtags #MaduraiThanksModi and #TNWelcomesModi, people thanked the PM for making AIIMS a reality. The posts under the hashtag #GoBackModi can see the outburst of the people over Modi not visiting cyclone Gaja-hit districts in Tamilnadu in which lakhs had been rendered homeless. |
| Protets against PM |
 Led by party chief Vaiko, MDMK cadres staged a black flag demonstration against Modi shortly before he arrived here, accusing him of betraying the interests of Tamilnadu. Police said the protesters were detained. Releasing black baloons, the protesting party cadres raised slogans against Modi alleging that he betrayed the interests of Tamilnadu on Cauvery and other issues.
In a counter move, BJP youth wing supporters put up posters sarcastically “welcoming Vaiko”. The MDMK cadres claimed that the centre had accorded “permission to projects like neutrino and hydrocarbon extraction” which, according to them, would have an adverse impact on the livelihood of the farmers and also affect the common people. |