Rajasthan Assembly: The Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences Bill (RIMS) and the Fisheries Sector Amendment Bill were approved in the Rajasthan Assembly on Monday. The passage of the RIMS Bill paves the way for the establishment of the Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), modelled on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jaipur.
Under this bill, RIMS will be established as an autonomous body, merging the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) and the State Cancer Institute. Following the bill's passage, the Assembly proceedings were adjourned until September 9th.
Under the Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences Bill, RIMS has been granted the status of an autonomous university. This institution will provide high-level education in the fields of medicine, nursing, paramedical sciences, and AYUSH. RIMS will have the authority to offer MBBS, postgraduate, super-specialty courses, degrees, and diplomas. A separate fund will be established for this purpose, and the state government will provide an annual grant. The annual budget and accounts related to this fund will be presented in the Assembly.
The Chief Secretary of Rajasthan has been appointed as the Chairperson of the RIMS Governing Council. Experts from prestigious institutions like AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and IIM will be included in the governing body. A selection committee will be formed for the appointment of the Director, and a finance officer will also be appointed. According to the bill, the state government can declare any affiliated college a government college, and all related assets, such as land, buildings, and laboratories, will be under government control.
RIMS will offer super-specialty services such as cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, urology, plastic surgery, endocrinology, nephrology, CTVS, and organ transplantation. In addition, new sub-specialties such as paediatric cardiology, geriatric medicine, rheumatology, reproductive biology, genetics, biotechnology, nuclear medicine, sleep medicine, and critical care will be introduced.
Through these state-of-the-art facilities, RIMS will establish its identity in the medical field not only in Rajasthan but also nationally and internationally.
During the discussion on the RIMS Bill in the Assembly on Monday, debates and arguments were witnessed. Congress MLA Shanti Dhariwal questioned the government's intentions regarding the bill. He asked Deputy CM Premchand Bairawa what the full name of RIMS was. Dhariwal said that the government was trying to open a new shop with old goods by closing RUHS. He suggested that if RIMS has to be created, a new institution should be built.
In response, Deputy CM Premchand Bairawa quipped at Dhariwal, saying, "I will bring you some good Chyawanprash, as you are in old age. Your memory should improve. You didn't talk about the bill and were calling RIMS a shop." The Leader of the Opposition then lightheartedly said to send a box of Chyawanprash to Jogaram Patel as well.
A heated exchange also took place between Food Minister Sumit Godara and Shanti Dhariwal. Godara said that you don't like the progress of the state's medical sector. Everyone knows what happened during your reign. In response, Dhariwal said that this is not your subject. Godara retorted, saying that if you think you are more knowledgeable, then come and debate.
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLD) MLA Subhash Garg questioned the structure of RIMS' Governing Council. He said that the government is creating RIMS on the lines of AIIMS, but in AIIMS' Governing Council, the Health Minister is the Chairperson and there are three Member of Parliaments. In contrast, the Chief Secretary has been made the Chairperson of the RIMS Governing Council, and no public representative has been included.
Garg sarcastically remarked that officers are servants of the public, but it seems that you are making MLAs servants of the officers.
An independent fund will be established for RIMS, for which the state government will provide an annual grant. This fund will be used for the institution's operation, research, and infrastructure development. RIMS will be administered under the leadership of a Director, who will be appointed by a selection committee. Advice from experts included in the Governing Council will help the institution achieve excellence nationally and internationally.
