To pressurise the Bihar government to expedite the construction work of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Bihar's Darbhanga, a student union in the district has started a door-to-door brick-collection drive to lay the foundation stone of the second AIIMS in Bihar and the first in the North Bihar region. The initiative has struck a cord with hundreds of locals who want better healthcare facilities in their villages.
The Mithila Student Union (MSU) hopes the foundation stone of the hospital will be laid by 8 September with over one lakh bricks collected from people in Darbhanga. They aim to be joined by over 3,000 people for the ceremony. The drive was initiated on 1 August and approximately 20,000-30,000 bricks have already been collected, MSU leader Aditya Mohan told me.
"In 2015, the then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that another AIIMS-like institution will be set up in Bihar. However, for the longest time, the state government was unable to decide a location. Just ahead of Lok Sabha polls in 2019, it was decided that AIIMS will be set up in Darbhanga. Before the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls, the Union Cabinet approved the establishment of AIIMS, however, not a brick has moved since.”Anup Maithil, MSU founder
It was thought the work will begin after the Cabinet’s approval in September 2020, but several problems are in the way before AIIMS' planned opening in 2024. Hence, the mass protest by union members.
"Four-lane connectivity is required, the land allotted for the AIIMS is low-land and in monsoon, it gets filled with water. As the work to level the ground has also not begun yet, it is unlikely that they will be able to complete it by 2024. Deoghar AIIMS, Rajkot AIIMS, all were announced around the same time and work is almost done, then why is there a delay for Darbhanga despite a ‘double-engine government’ in Bihar?”Aditya Mohan, MSU leader
Other activists engaged in on-ground campaigns say donation of bricks is not just in protest of the delay but in hope of a primary health facility in their district.
“You see, our region is very poor and backward. People here do not have resources to travel to Patna, forget Delhi or elsewhere. Wherever we spoke about AIIMS, people connected with us. We all know what is the condition of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). So, AIIMS is our dream and our need.”Anish Choudhary, MSU activist
Some are expecting them to raise other issues like that of healthcare centres in their remote villages.
When asked about the political support to their protest and opposition from the ruling government, Mohan replied that the issue is connected to the sentiment of people in the region and hence, there has been no opposition. Maithil added that they have received support from ideologically opposite sections as well. On 6 August, RJD spokesperson Ritu Jaiswal extended support to the drive and met MSU leaders.
Prabhat Jha, a resident of Darbhanga, said that he considered the MSU initiative to be a small student-led drive but his perception changed after witnessing the response from remote villages of his district. He, too, has donated a brick to the student union.
Geeta Devi, a housewife from Bahadurpur block, said, “We are glad to see that young people are talking about hospitals and coming to our door even though elections aren’t near the corner.”
Darbhanga AIIMS a Beacon of Hope
Darbhanga is one of India’s most flood-prone areas and this entire region of North Bihar floods almost every year. While population density is high in North Bihar, there is a lack of access to basic facilities like clean drinking water, sanitation, and healthcare. Neighbouring districts of Saharsa, Purnea, etc also lack a strong healthcare system. Thus, the demand for Darbhanga AIIMS resonates with the entire region of North Bihar.
On 15 September 2020, a press note by the Government of India stated that the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved establishment of a new AIIMS at Darbhanga under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). It stated that the AIIMS will have 750 hospital beds and 15-20 Super Specialty Departments, among others.
However, in March 2021, the then MoS Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey, while answering a question in the Rajya Sabha, said that the marked 200 acre land for the construction of Darbhanga AIIMS was not received. Later, the Bihar government provided the land and granted financial approval of Rs 13.23 crore for earth-filling work that is to be done in the first phase. However, work on ground is yet to begin.
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