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New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday signed an MoU with the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and the Ministry of Education to provide enhanced funding and technical support to the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) at BHU. Health Minister JP Nadda and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were present at the signing event here, a Health Ministry statement said.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) facilitates the provision of grants-in-aid to IMS, similar to the funding model for the new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) being set up under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The grant to IMS will improve the availability of the affordable, state-of-the-art secondary and tertiary healthcare services for the people of the region, the statement said, adding that it will contribute significantly to reducing the need for patient referrals by enhancing clinical care services.
The initiative is expected to improve patient experience and satisfaction while reducing out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare, it said.
The Health Ministry has been supporting the IMS through various schemes aimed at establishing new facilities and upgrading the existing ones, the statement added.
Given the excellence of IMS, and its potential for further improvement, there was a need to provide enhanced support to ensure the delivery of healthcare services of highest standards, it said.
During the event, Nadda said the MoU reflects the Centre’s “whole-of-government” approach, which promotes collaboration across various departments to achieve shared goals for the benefit of the people.
He also said the partnership between AIIMS, New Delhi, and IMS, BHU, would elevate teaching standards and lead to excellence in research outcomes.
The health minister also proposed regular exchanges of students and faculty between IMS and AIIMS to enhance the overall outcomes.
Pradhan said the MoU would strengthen academic and research collaboration between AIIMS and IMS, enabling sharing of knowledge and expertise, particularly in areas such as upgrading clinical and healthcare facilities, robotic surgery, hospital administration, and governance.
The MoU would also help establish IMS as a world-class institute, he added.
