hief Secretary outlines 10-year vision for AIIMS Jodhpur; stresses research, technology and patient-friendly healthcare
Expansion of medical education and digital healthcare strengthening access to quality health services
Jaipur, September 2026 : Chief Secretary Shri V. Srinivas said that India’s healthcare institutions are being strengthened through expansion of medical education, modern infrastructure, technology and specialised healthcare services. He said the next decade should focus on further strengthening AIIMS as globally recognised institutions of medical research, clinical excellence and medical education, while keeping quality and compassionate patient care at the centre.
Delivering the Foundation Day Lecture at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur on Thursday, the Chief Secretary outlined a 10-year vision for institution building at AIIMS, with emphasis on world-class research, digital healthcare, modern infrastructure, strong teams and patient-friendly services.
The Chief Secretary said AIIMS Jodhpur, established in 2012, has emerged as an important centre for advanced and specialised healthcare in Rajasthan. The institute has 1,000 hospital beds, caters to around 6,000 OPD patients and handles more than 250 emergency admissions per day. It has also developed capabilities in specialised areas including paediatric cardiac surgery, TAVI, ECMO, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and IVF.
Shri Srinivas said the expansion of medical education in the country has gathered significant momentum. The number of government medical colleges has increased from 181 in 2014 to 441 in 2026, while the total number of medical colleges has reached 823. Undergraduate medical seats have increased from 51,348 in 2014 to 1,36,939 in 2026, while postgraduate seats have increased from 31,185 to 86,360 during the same period.
Highlighting the importance of institution building, the Chief Secretary said strong teams and timely recruitment are foundational to strong institutions. Modern infrastructure, efficient procurement systems, quality residential facilities for doctors and paramedical staff and international collaborations are important for creating world-class healthcare institutions.
The Chief Secretary said digital transformation has immense potential to improve access, efficiency and quality of healthcare. He highlighted electronic medical records, digital hospital systems, inter-linked laboratories and technology-enabled patient services. He also underlined the growing role of Artificial Intelligence, digital therapeutics and remote patient monitoring in healthcare.
Presenting the 10-year vision for AIIMS, Shri Srinivas emphasised stronger global research collaborations and interdisciplinary research in genomics, Artificial Intelligence and public health. He also highlighted global research fellowships, development of robust clinical cohorts and biorepositories and greater global visibility for AIIMS in high-impact medical research.
For strengthening clinical excellence, the Chief Secretary emphasised streamlining OPD operations, digitisation of medical records under a unique health identification, strengthening emergency triage and expanding multidisciplinary care. He also stressed making clinical areas more patient-friendly and improving support facilities for patients and their families.
On medical education, Shri Srinivas stressed regular review of curricula, greater emphasis on hands-on and simulation-based learning, interaction with global experts and greater use of modern diagnostics and technologies in clinical case discussions. He also highlighted the need to retain high-quality professionals and strengthen institutional governance and decision-making.
Referring to Rajasthan’s Next Generation Administrative Reforms, the Chief Secretary said the State’s governance approach focuses on citizen-centric service delivery, technology-enabled grievance redressal, infrastructure development and women’s economic empowerment. He said technology and Artificial Intelligence are increasingly becoming important instruments for improving governance and public service delivery.
Concluding his address, Shri Srinivas said that institution building at AIIMS and transformative governance have enabled a large section of the population to benefit from improved tertiary healthcare. He wished AIIMS Jodhpur continued success on its Foundation Day.
