JAMMU: Executive Director & CEO of AIIMS Jammu, Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta, on Tuesday lauded the media fraternity for its consistent support and responsible reporting, stating that it has played a crucial role in highlighting the institution’s growth, achievements, and public service initiatives.
Addressing a media interaction at AIIMS Jammu, Prof. Gupta said the institute stands as a symbol of visionary leadership and inclusive healthcare, established under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, whose vision has strengthened healthcare delivery across the country.
He emphasised that AIIMS Jammu is not merely a hospital but a comprehensive ecosystem of healing, learning, innovation, and research. Despite challenges, including those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the institute completed 43 major buildings in a record three-and-a-half years. The quality and speed of construction earned national recognition when CPWD received the Best Project Award at the 170th CPWD Annual Day, presented by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal Khattar.
Highlighting clinical achievements, Prof. Gupta said AIIMS Jammu has so far treated over 3.68 lakh OPD patients, admitted 8,783 inpatients, handled 22,810 emergency cases, and performed 3,283 surgeries across eight modular operation theatres. The institute has also provided critical care to 1,297 ICU patients and conducted 1,624 dialysis sessions. Advanced diagnostics include over 60,000 X-rays, 34,000 ultrasounds, 13,500 CT scans, and more than 4,000 MRI scans, significantly improving healthcare access for the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Further strengthening tertiary care, AIIMS Jammu has operationalised super-specialty services in disciplines such as Endocrinology, Pediatric Surgery, CTVS, Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Urology, Burns & Plastic Surgery, Gastroenterology, Neonatology, Pulmonary Medicine, Surgical Oncology, and Cardiology, reducing the need for patients to seek advanced treatment outside the region.
Prof. Gupta also highlighted innovation-driven initiatives, noting that AIIMS Jammu houses India’s only Centre for Advanced Genomics and Precision Medicine among all AIIMS. The expanding Oncology Unit now provides chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, while a state-of-the-art biochemistry laboratory with waterless dry chemistry technology ensures rapid and accurate diagnostics. Patient-centric services such as the AIIMS Indoor Navigation App, Patient Care Manager, Rogi Sahayak Mitra system, Parikrama Seva e-carts, Swasthya App, and AYUSH screening further enhance patient convenience.
On the academic front, he said the institute has expanded from a single MBBS batch to six MBBS batches of 100 students each, along with B.Sc. Nursing, MD/MS, MDS, and M.Ch programmes. With a digital library, a 1,000-seat convention centre, over 140 ongoing research projects, and collaborations with IIT Jammu, IIM Jammu, and the University of Alabama, AIIMS Jammu continues to strengthen its research and academic ecosystem.
Prof. Gupta noted that AIIMS Jammu secured the 7th position in Outlook Magazine’s 2025 ranking of Government Medical Universities, emerging as the second-highest ranked AIIMS after AIIMS Delhi. He also recalled visits by dignitaries including Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda, Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Shri Omar Abdullah, who appreciated the institute’s rapid development and patient-centric approach.
Outlining future plans, Prof. Gupta said AIIMS Jammu aims to establish Centres of Excellence in Oncology, Trauma Sciences, Ophthalmology, Nursing, Telemedicine, Robotics, and Predictive Medicine, along with an advanced Blood Centre, Cath Lab, Sports Complex, and Satellite Centres including the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Unit (CRHSU) at Basholi. Plans are also underway to set up a Global Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare.
Concluding the interaction, Prof. Gupta expressed gratitude to the Government of India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Jammu & Kashmir administration, faculty, staff, students, and the people of the region for their continued support. He also thanked the media fraternity for amplifying AIIMS Jammu’s journey, stating that the institute is committed to “healing lives, nurturing hope, and building a healthier tomorrow.”
