Investigation Unveiled: Was the 'All India Institute of Ayurveda' already open before Prime Minister Modi's inauguration?
The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), a much-anticipated research and referral hospital dedicated to the ancient Indian system of medicine, has been officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister. However, the institute's journey to completion was a long and winding one.
The seeds of AIIA were sown in 2005 when the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) allotted land for the project. The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of AIIA in January 2008, and the payment for 11 acres of land was made the following February. Initially, the estimated cost for establishing AIIA during the 11th five-year plan period was Rs 155 crore.
Between 2008-09 and 2011-12, only Rs 114.12 crore was allocated for AIIA, with actual expenditure of Rs 74.24 crore during the same period. The project cost was revised to Rs 157 crore in 2013. Despite the slow progress, a temporary Out Patient (OPD) block of AIIA was opened in October 2010, albeit not constituting the opening of the full building.
The original plan was to complete the AIIA by the end of the 11th Five-year Plan Period (March 2012). However, construction was not completed until December 2016. Interestingly, the construction agency had handed over the building to the government by then, but the institute was not yet operational.
The AIIA was planned to be a 200-bed research and referral hospital for clinical research, with state-of-art research facilities. It was initially conceived as a Joint Venture project but was later revised to be established entirely in the Govt. sector. The OPD facility in all specialties of Ayurveda started operating from the new building during 2016-17.
Despite the institute being operational before the inauguration, the Prime Minister did not open an already open building, but inaugurated the AIIA after the construction was complete. The AIIA, as per the 2008 plan, was expected to treat about 250-300 O.P.D. patients daily when fully functional.
The NDA government gave a tender notice for the second phase construction of AIIA in February 2017, indicating the government's commitment to further developing this institute. The then Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Panabaka Lakshmi, provided updates on the AIIA in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in 2008, highlighting the importance of this project from its inception.
In conclusion, the All India Institute of Ayurveda is now a reality, marking a significant step forward in the government's efforts to promote and modernise Ayurveda. The institute's journey from conception to completion spans over a decade, demonstrating the challenges and complexities involved in such large-scale projects. Nevertheless, the successful inauguration of AIIA is a testament to the government's determination to bring about change and progress in the field of Ayurveda.
