Over 20 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) centres spread across India, now known based on their location, are set to get individual names.
A senior official at the Health Ministry confirmed that the institutes will be named after freedom fighters, regional heroes, historical events, notable monuments of the area, or their distinct geographical identity.
Under the latest proposal, all AIIMS institutes — fully functional, partially operational or under construction — are to be renamed. “The majority of the 23 AIIMS has submitted a list of names after the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sought suggestions from them in this matter,’’ the official said.
The majority of these premier health institutes are learnt to have suggested three to four names, along with an explanatory note for the names suggested.
AIIMS-New Delhi, the forerunner institute, was established in 1956. Since then, 24 more institutes have been announced. As of January 2022, 19 institutes are operating and five more are expected to become operational by 2025.
