After years of uncertainty, Kerala is set to get an AIIMS, Union Minister Suresh Gopi has said, reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to the long-pending demand.
Speaking to reporters in Guruvayur, Gopi said there was no doubt that AIIMS would be established in Kerala. He also indicated that the state could receive another major central government project in addition to AIIMS, though he declined to share details at this stage.
When asked about new projects expected in 2026, the minister said he was deliberately withholding information, warning that premature disclosures could lead to projects being “eliminated”. Referring to a proposed forensic laboratory that did not materialise, he said he could even produce documents related to the shelved plan.
However, Gopi said another significant project had already been approved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, adding that its implementation would depend on whether suitable land is made available in the state.
On speculation about possible announcements during a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Thiruvananthapuram following the BJP’s victory in the city corporation, Gopi said any such declaration would be made solely by the Prime Minister. He added that Modi would not visit the state to announce AIIMS, but might instead focus on issues related to the Smart City project if it has not been fully implemented in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
Reiterating his stance on AIIMS, Gopi said the institute would come to Kerala “in its own organic way” and not due to the efforts of any single individual. He said he had consistently spoken about AIIMS since 2015.
“If AIIMS is not set up in Alappuzha, then Thrissur deserves it,” Gopi said, recalling his statements during the election campaign. He added that he had always projected himself as a Member of Parliament for the entire state, elected through the people of Thrissur.
Gopi has repeatedly promised the establishment of an AIIMS in Kerala since the start of his campaign in Thrissur. The state government, too, has written to the Centre several times seeking the allocation of an AIIMS.
