evidence: AIIMS, Rajkot is being developed under the Phase-6 of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY). It will be a 750 bedded hospital with multiple speciality as well as super speciality departments. The Project cost of construction is about Rs. 1195 Crores, which includes an allocation of Rs. 185 Crores towards state-of-the art medical equipment. Congratulating the students of the first batch of MBBS in AIIMS Rajkot, Dr Vardhan said, "AIIMS, Rajkot in Gujarat is one amongst the several new AIIMS, conceived under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji. While the short-term objective of establishing new AIIMS in various parts of India is to reduce the gaps in affordable tertiary health care, the long-term vision is to generate wellness amongst the general population of India." Reiterating the priority of the government to bridge the regional imbalance in healthcare services and to expand the facilities for medical education, Dr Vardhan noted, "Government of India’s initiative in setting up new AIIMS in different States to promote regional spread of Super specialty health care and its accessibility, while simultaneous up-gradation of existing Medical Colleges set up 20 years ago, over the plan periods, was a concerted step in the direction of furtherance in reduction of gaps between the demand and supply of doctors as well as the hospital beds."