Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan will attend the foundation stone laying ceremony of two new medical colleges at Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar on Sunday.
The two new colleges are part of the 11 new medical colleges the Centre recently approved for Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to reporters on his arrival here on Saturday, the minister said: "I have come to Madurai to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony for two new medical colleges at Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned the construction of 75 medical colleges in aspirational districts of the country to provide facilities to the poor. Out of the 75, the Prime Minister has gifted 11 new medical colleges to Tamil Nadu alone."
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will lay the foundation stone for the two medical colleges. Harsh Vardhan will chair both the events at the respective collectorates.
On being asked about the AIIMS hospital which is under construction in Madurai, he said: "The basic structure of the AIIMS hospital, which was laid in Madurai last year, is nearing completion. Subsequently, the JICA Finance Company has come thrice and conducted studies on the AIIMS project."
"The funds will be released over the next few months, especially with the advanced research centre at AIIMS in Madurai, as is in Delhi. The first phase of the round-up work is nearing completion," he added.