The Bihar State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has accorded environmental clearance to the expansion plans of the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna.

Announcing the SEIAA clearance on Saturday, AIIMS Patna executive director Gopal Krushna Pal said: “This is a crucial step for us. It will enhance our medical residential infrastructure for students and staff.

“We are committed to adhere to the highest environmental standards while developing the facilities.”

The expansion project includes the development of new medical facilities, research centres and residential areas aimed at supporting the growing needs of the institution. The SEIAA approval paves the way for construction work related to these.

The expansion plan has been categorised under the “townships and area development projects” and aligns with the vision of AIIMS Patna to provide state-of-the-art healthcare and medical education.

The AIIMS Patna started functioning in 2012-13 and has grown to have 42 specialised departments and around 1,000 beds. It has 125 MBBS seats, 75 BSc Nursing and 12 MSc nursing seats.