AIIMS Bilaspur Convocation: Centre Targets 75,000 Medical Seats
- What: First AIIMS Bilaspur convocation held
- Target: 75,000 medical seats by 2029
- Funding: ₹15,000 crore allocated for expansion
- Capacity: 776 operational beds in Bilaspur
India plans to add 75,000 medical seats by 2029, backed by a ₹15,000 crore outlay for 10,000 immediate additions. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda announced the expansion targets during the inaugural convocation of AIIMS Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, where President Droupadi Murmu conferred degrees on the institute's first 92 graduates.
The maiden graduating cohort comprises 43 doctors, 26 nurses, and 23 allied healthcare and postgraduate specialists. Formally inaugurated in 2022, AIIMS Bilaspur has expanded to 776 beds across 41 specialties, logging over 12 lakh outpatient consultations in four years. President Murmu urged the new clinicians to deploy telemedicine and modern diagnostic protocols to serve remote Himalayan communities.
Nationwide medical colleges have expanded from 384 to over 800, bringing undergraduate capacity to 1.42 lakh seats. The government has established 16 new AIIMS facilities over the past 12 years to decentralize access to tertiary care. Murmu also highlighted that the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY initiative has funded over ₹2 lakh crore in medical treatments for economically vulnerable families.
For northern hill regions, deploying this pioneering batch directly relieves specialist deficits in difficult terrain. Integrating tertiary surgical capacity with local healthcare networks aims to reduce patient transfers to distant metropolitan hospitals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students graduated at the first AIIMS Bilaspur convocation?
A total of 92 students received degrees, comprising 43 MBBS, 26 BSc Nursing, 9 allied healthcare, and 14 MD/MS graduates.
What is the government's medical seat addition target by 2029?
The Centre aims to add 75,000 undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats by 2029, backed by an allocation of ₹15,000 crore for an initial 10,000 seats.
What is the current operational capacity of AIIMS Bilaspur?
AIIMS Bilaspur operates 776 beds with 26 broad specialties and 15 super specialties, having managed over 12 lakh outpatient visits over four years.
Source
Press Information Bureau Release ID 2319526, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare · 2026-10-06
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