The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Guwahati is set to commence operations with 150 beds from April 14, following its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This announcement was made by the Executive Director of the facility, Ashok Puranik, during a press conference. The patient care services at AIIMS, Guwahati commenced in August last year through telemedicine, and limited OPD for local residents started in September. Puranik revealed that 85% of the construction work at the project site is already complete and most of the clinical departments are operational, with the out-patient department handling an average of 150 patients per day. Daycare, pharmacy, laboratory facilities, and radiological investigations are among the services provided by the hospital.

The hospital will initially operate with 150 beds, but Puranik aims to have a fully functional facility with a capacity of 750 beds within the next three to four years. The hospital will offer high-quality patient care services in various specialities, including cardiology, neurology, burns and plastic surgery, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, and interventional radiology. AIIMS, Guwahati aims to address the regional imbalance in the availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare services, provide comprehensive and holistic tertiary care health services, augment facilities for quality medical education, and conduct cutting-edge research.

Additionally, the hospital will provide cancer care, advanced laparoscopy facilities, trauma care, and futuristic interventions such as robotic surgery, organ transplantation, regenerative medicine, genetics, and simulation lab. The institute has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maligaon Railway Hospital to facilitate clinical exposure and clinical postings for students. An agreement with IIT-Guwahati is also in the works, with a primary focus on collaboration on artificial intelligence, robotics, low-cost equipment, cloud computing, and digitalization.

Puranik also provided details on the academic activities of AIIMS, Guwahati, stating that there are currently three batches of students, with the fourth set to join in July-August this year. The institute has 199 MBBS students, 78 faculty members, 125 nursing officers, and 12 senior residents. The hospital was established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY), and the Union Cabinet approved its establishment at Changsari in Kamrup district at a cost of Rs 1,123 crore in May 2017. The construction work commenced in 2019.