The Kerala High Court has questioned the Centre over the AIIMS delay for Kerala after the Union said other states were being prioritised, with the Chief Justice observing that not everyone can afford private hospital care.
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Kochi: The Kerala High Court has asked the Centre to explain the delay in establishing an AIIMS in the State after the Union government said it was prioritising other states first, observing that people in Kerala cannot be assumed to need no AIIMS because the State has good healthcare.
The Bench led by Chief Justice Soumen Sen was hearing petitions seeking establishment of an AIIMS in Kerala under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The Centre’s stand
Explaining the delay, the Centre submitted that Kerala has good healthcare and that it is prioritising other states for AIIMS first. Deputy Solicitor General of India Om Shalina told the Court that the Minister had answered in the Lok Sabha that no in-principle approval has been given for establishing an AIIMS in any location in the State.
What the Court said
Chief Justice Sen responded by asking whether the Centre’s position meant that people in Kerala do not need an AIIMS, and observed that not everyone can afford to go to a private super-speciality hospital.
Why the hearing matters
Access to affordable tertiary care is tied to the right to health under Article 21. The Court’s question puts the criterion for prioritising States, as applied to Kerala, under judicial scrutiny, and the Centre will have to justify it on the record.
Matter: Petitions seeking establishment of AIIMS in Kerala under PMSSY
Bench: Chief Justice Soumen Sen, Kerala High Court
Date: October 7, 2026
Appearances: Deputy Solicitor General of India Om Shalina for the Union of India