NEW DELHI: The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), BHU will receive more funding and technical support for academic research and collaborations from the Central government, for which a tripartite memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the institute, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and his Health and Family Welfare counterpart J.P. Nadda on November 22, 2024.
The MoU enables provision of grant in aid to the IMS, BHU by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the lines of new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) set up under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The grant will enhance the availability of affordable state-of-the-art secondary and tertiary healthcare services to the people of the region. It will contribute significantly in reducing referrals by enhancing delivery of clinical care services.
Sharing knowledge and expertise
“The MoU will deepen academic and research collaborations, facilitate student, faculty, staff and research professional exchanges between the MoHFW, AIIMS and IMS, BHU, paving the way for sharing of knowledge and expertise, particularly in upgradation of clinical and healthcare facilities, robotics surgery, hospital administration and governance. The MoU will help establish IMS, BHU as a world-class institute,” Dharmendra Pradhan said.
Highlighting the importance of IMS, BHU towards addressing the medical needs of eastern UP and surrounding states, he urged the institute to improve its teaching standards to bring more efficiency in its services.
Holistic healthcare and education
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently emphasised holistic and inclusive development in healthcare and education. His vision of a New India is deeply rooted in empowering institutions like BHU to serve as global centers of excellence, the Minister added.
He said that this MoU aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision, ensuring that Varanasi becomes a hub of integrated healthcare and education services.
Calling this a historic day, J.P. Nadda said this MoU was a result of the Union Government’s “whole of the government” approach, which fosters increased collaboration across various government departments for shared goals aimed towards people’s benefit. He emphasised that this MoU would establish close partnership between AIIMS, New Delhi, and IMS, BHU leading to higher teaching standards and excellence in research outcomes.