Varanasi: In a landmark move to bolster healthcare and medical education, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, alongside Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J. P. Nadda, today witnessed the signing of a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of Education. This collaboration marks a significant step in redefining the future of healthcare, education, and research in India.
The MoU, signed at an event in Varanasi, will provide enhanced funding and technical support to IMS, BHU, facilitating its development into a state-of-the-art medical institute. Under the terms of the MoU, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide grants to IMS, BHU similar to those extended to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). This funding will improve the availability of affordable secondary and tertiary healthcare services for the people of eastern Uttar Pradesh and surrounding regions, reducing the need for patient referrals and improving overall healthcare delivery.
Dharmendra Pradhan, speaking at the event, emphasized the MoU’s role in deepening academic and research collaborations. He noted that the partnership will foster student, faculty, and research exchanges between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, AIIMS, and IMS, BHU, enhancing knowledge-sharing in areas such as clinical care, robotic surgery, and hospital administration. “This collaboration will help establish IMS, BHU as a world-class institution,” he said, highlighting the importance of aligning healthcare and education for the benefit of society.
The Minister also focused on the need to improve research outcomes, urging IMS, BHU to collaborate with both national and international premier institutions to enhance its research output. He emphasized the institution’s critical role in addressing the medical needs of the region and underscored the importance of improving teaching standards to improve service efficiency. Pradhan also reflected on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a “New India,” rooted in holistic development, and stated that this MoU is aligned with that vision. He expressed confidence that the collaboration will position Varanasi as a hub for integrated healthcare and education services.
In his remarks, J.P. Nadda hailed the signing of the MoU as a historic milestone for the healthcare and education sectors. “This MoU is a result of the Union Government’s ‘whole of the government’ approach, encouraging collaboration across ministries for the greater good of the people,” said Nadda. He also proposed regular exchanges between IMS, BHU, and AIIMS, New Delhi, to elevate teaching standards and research outcomes.
The collaboration between IMS, BHU, AIIMS, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is expected to foster innovation, improve healthcare services, and establish IMS, BHU as a leading institute in India and beyond. This MoU represents a decisive move towards strengthening India’s medical infrastructure, with Varanasi emerging as a central hub for world-class healthcare and education.