AIIMS Kalyani is all set to become functional from January 27 when it will launch its outpatient department (OPD) offering limited service to a restricted number of patients on its premise in Basantpur, located at the outskirts of the town.

However, there will be no formal inauguration on the day for the much awaited rollout of the service, which has been kept shelved until the fullfledged hospital service is launched.

“The formal inauguration will be held once the fullfledged hospital with both outpatient and inpatient care becomes operational”, said AIIMS Kalyani’s executive director Ramji Singh.

Sources said that the Centre had set September as the target for making the AIIMS fully operational which include inpatients services.

The AIIMS Kalyani authority in a notification has stated that at present only outdoor patients will get service at 8 departments. “To begin with, we will offer outdoor service at general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, dermatology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology (ENT), psychiatry for a restricted number of patients,” said Ramji Singh.

Fullfledged OPD with services for 17 departments is expected to become operational from April this year, an official said.

“Considering limited faculties, we will at present offer to around 200 outdoor patients as a whole between 9am to 1pm only from Monday to Friday. There will be no service on Saturday, Sunday and on the central government holiday,” Singh told The Telegraph adding that registration of patients would be done between 8am and 11am only on prior appointment. The modalities of registration will be notified soon, an official said.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Ramji Singh further said: “At present, there will be no emergency, laboratory, diagnostic service, and admission of patients for indoor treatment since the limited outpatient care being launched largely for academic purpose as it will help our MBBS students to get exposure to clinical education”.

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

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

Officials of union health ministry, AIIMS governing body are at present working in coordination with the Bengal government so that infrastructure outside the premises that include construction of fourlane road, bus bay and a police station are constructed.