The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Kalyani is all set to become functional in January new year, when it will launch an OPD with at least eight departments with preparations to offer services to a limited number of patients.

Alongside, efforts are also made to launch the in-patient service on a small scale in four departments which are projected to be operative in full capacity only by September next year.

AIIMS Kalyani’s executive director Ramji Singh told The Telegraph on Tuesday that out-patients would be offered service in general medicine, paediatrics, surgery, obstetrics-gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, dermatology and psychiatry “for the time being”.

However, owing to limited faculty strength, only a restricted number of outpatients will be registered every day until the full-fledged outpatient department (OPD) is formally inaugurated in April next year following all central directives.

AIIMS Kalyani will offer medical services in at least 40 departments, of which OPD services will be offered in at least 17 until they become completely operational in conjunction with super specialty services.

“The OPD is now our top priority. Apart from launching patient services, we need this to be operative since it will help students get exposure to clinical education,” Singh said.

Sources at the AIIMS said preparations for launching the OPD had been hindered during the Covid-19-induced lockdown. It is being further delayed reportedly owing to non-arrival of equipment and furniture as shipments sent by Centre’s supervising organisation, HSCC Limited, had been stranded by road blockades by farmers protesting on the outskirts of Delhi.

“We are hopeful that the equipment and furniture will arrive soon so that we can complete the set-up to begin the OPD service”, Ramji Singh said.

Singh also confirmed efforts to launch the IPD service.

“The process of launching the IPD will begin once the OPD is operational. Our effort is to launch limited inpatient services as early as possible, preferably before April. We have a target to begin the full fledged in-patient service by September next year,” Singh said, adding that the number of beds was yet to be ascertained so far.

“Our plan is to have complete infrastructure, even for limited IPD, so that patients can be provided with all the required emergency support and never be put at risk,” he added.

A process of recruitment of faculty has bee commenced at the new hospital. In the first phase, 19 faculty members had been appointed, whereas later 25 new faculties were selected and 11 of them joined. Meanwhile, a fresh recruitment drive has also been initiated.

Last month, the first batch of 50 MBBS students was graduated. With the shifting of academic activities to its own campus in Basantapur, AIIMS authorities increased the seat capacity to 125 for the second batch, of which 107 students have already been admitted. Classes will begin in January, an official said.

The construction of the AIIMS Kalyani had begun in 2016 on 179.82 acres of land allotted by the Bengal Government at Basantapur, which is located on the outskirts of Kalyani town, 45 km away from Calcutta and connected by NH12.

Two companies were assigned to construct the campus in two phases. In the first phase, the OPD and residential buildings were constructed. The second phase work is going on and is set to meet the targeted inauguration of the entire project in September 2021.

Officials of the Union health ministry and the AIIMS’ governing body are at present working in coordination with the Bengal government so that infrastructure outside the premises — like a four-lane road, bus bay and a police station — is ready in time.