Union Health Ministry Signs MoU with BHU and Education Ministry to Boost IMS Facilities and Collaboration with AIIMS

The MoU aims to bring IMS, BHU to the level of premier institutions like AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) by offering grants and infrastructural support.

In a historic collaboration, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and the Ministry of Education to provide enhanced funding, technical support, and academic collaboration to the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), BHU. The agreement was formalized in the presence of Union Health Minister Shri J. P. Nadda and Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

The MoU aims to bring IMS, BHU to the level of premier institutions like AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) by offering grants and infrastructural support. This enhancement is expected to significantly improve the availability of affordable secondary and tertiary healthcare in the region. The initiative aims to:

Reduce patient referrals to distant facilities.

Enhance clinical care services and patient satisfaction.

Lower out-of-pocket expenditures for healthcare.

Union Health Ministry has previously supported IMS, BHU under various schemes for establishing and upgrading medical facilities, but this agreement signals a deeper commitment to fostering excellence in healthcare delivery.

Strengthening Academic and Research Collaboration

The partnership will establish a closer relationship between AIIMS, New Delhi, and IMS, BHU, enabling mutual growth in teaching standards, clinical research, and medical innovation.

Faculty and student exchanges will enhance learning and research outcomes.

The institutions will share expertise in robotic surgery, hospital administration, and governance.

Technical support and academic cooperation will be prioritized for capacity building and innovation.

Union Health Minister Shri J. P. Nadda lauded the collaboration as a testament to the Union Government’s “whole of the government” approach, emphasizing that the agreement would create shared benefits across ministries while transforming healthcare in the region.

“This partnership will position IMS, BHU as a leading global healthcare and research institution, enhancing the standard of care and expanding access to cutting-edge treatments,” he said.

Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan underscored the MoU’s potential to deepen academic and research collaboration between the institutions. “This agreement will revolutionize teaching and clinical practices at IMS, BHU while leveraging the expertise of AIIMS in advancing healthcare solutions,” he added.

Commitment to Excellence

Prof. Sudhir K. Jain, Vice Chancellor of BHU, called the collaboration a rare and valuable initiative that reflects the trust of two major ministries in the university's potential. "This MoU will help elevate BHU’s teaching and research capabilities to a global level," he assured.

Smt. Punya Srivastava, Secretary of the Health Ministry, stressed that the MoU is aligned with the government’s “whole of society” approach, ensuring benefits for both institutions and the community.

Future Roadmap

Under the agreement, IMS, BHU will work closely with AIIMS on:

Upgrading clinical facilities and surgical technologies.

Joint research projects tackling pressing healthcare challenges.

Enhancing hospital management through knowledge-sharing initiatives.

The initiative reflects the government’s commitment to fostering inclusive growth, improving healthcare delivery, and promoting innovation in medical research, paving the way for IMS, BHU to emerge as a globally recognized center of excellence.