Gorakhpur AIIMS serving as lifeline for 12 cr people: Yogi

Time of India

6 days ago

: Chief Minister
on Monday said that AIIMS in Gorakhpur is not just a medical institution but a lifeline for patients across eastern Uttar Pradesh, adjoining Bihar, and even parts of Nepal, serving over 12 crore people – over 5 crore people directly and 7 crore indirectly.
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Welcoming President Droupadi Murmu during the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS, Gorakhpur, Yogi recalled the long struggle for the establishment of the institution.
"Before 2014, AIIMS in Gorakhpur was merely a dream. Today, it is a major healthcare centre for people across eastern UP, northwestern Bihar, and parts of Nepal. It caters to the health needs of over five crore people directly and nearly seven crore indirectly," Yogi said.
Reflecting on the journey, the CM said he fought from the streets to the Parliament for AIIMS. "I'm perhaps the only person on this stage who has witnessed AIIMS Gorakhpur's transformation from a seed to a banyan tree," he said.
"Land acquisition was a major hurdle which was resolved shortly after I assumed office in 2017," he said. The hospital was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021.
Highlighting the institution's growth, he said AIIMS offered UG, PG, super-specialty, nursing, and DM programmes.
Addressing the first graduating batch, Yogi urged them to conduct case studies on encephalitis — a disease that haunted eastern UP for decades.
"Eight years ago, this season was feared. Over 50,000 children died in 40 years," he said, adding that improved healthcare infrastructure, including BRD Medical College and AIIMS, helped eliminate the menace.
"Today, every district in the region has a medical college. We're working to end the disparities of the past," he said, calling on young doctors to embrace research and development as the next frontier in healthcare.
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CM Yogi also pointed out the region's historical and spiritual significance, from Gorakhnath Peeth to Buddhist and Jain sites nearby, while acknowledging past educational and healthcare deficits.
"Gorakhpur is surrounded by key pilgrimage sites like Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sant Kabir Nagar, and is close to Ayodhya and Varanasi. Despite this, the region remained neglected for decades. Today, under the double-engine govt led by PM Modi, it is emerging as a hub of education and healthcare," he said.
Earlier in the day, Yogi described the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS, Gorakhpur, as a significant milestone in health education in the "new Uttar Pradesh of a new India".
In a tweet in Hindi on X, Yogi said, "This ceremony is a golden achievement in health education in the new Uttar Pradesh of a new India. This institute, established under the visionary guidance of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, is becoming a centre of excellent medical education and service in North India."