Will seek to speed up AIIMS project, says Minister.

Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar recently said he will soon approach Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda with a request to expedite the establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Thoppur in Madurai district.

Speaking to mediapersons after taking part in a series of government functions in the district, Mr. Vijaya Baskar said he would be meeting Mr. Nadda on October 9. Stating that the 200 acres of land marked for the project in Thoppur belonged to the State Health Department, he insisted that there were no problems with the chosen site.

Addressing concerns over swine flu, he said the Health Department had received information that some persons in Chittoor and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh and in Madhya Pradesh were found to be exhibiting symptoms of the virus. Tamil Nadu had adequate stock of over 10 lakh Tamiflu tablets meant for containing swine flu, he said, and urged the public not to panic. District Collectors had been advised to take appropriate measures to check the spread of communicable diseases, the Minister said.

THE HINDU