- The Union Cabinet has approved plan to set up 20 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across the country and upgrade 73 medical colleges.
- The decisions are part of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), which has been extended by two years till 2020.
- The construction of new AIIMS will be fully funded by Central government.
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
- PMSSY was announced in 2003 and it will be funded from different centrally sponsored schemes relating to creating infrastructure on health.
- Its objectives are correcting regional imbalances in availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare services and augment facilities for quality medical education in the country.