Agartala: The Tripura Assembly on Wednesday unanimously approved a proposal for a medical institution in the state on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

In his reply to a private member's resolution moved by MLA Sudhanghshu Das on the subject, health minister Sudip Roy Barman said there is a shortage of doctors, technicians and equipment in different healthcare institutions in the state.

He said infant mortality rate in Tripura rose to 24 in every 1,000 last year compared to 20 in the previous year.

Roy Barman added huge amount of funds are spent by people for healthcare in other states and stated that a medical institution in the style of AIIMS is required in Tripura "in the interest of 37 lakh people of the state". Former health minister and CPM legislator Badal Choudhury supported the move on behalf of the Opposition and said a proposal adopted unanimously could be sent to the Centre on the issue.

Choudhury said during his tenure as health minister, the Centre had sought 200 acres of land for setting up an AIIMS in Tripura.

Roy Barman said his government is committed to provide quality healthcare even at grassroots level. "The problem seems to lie at the tertiary level. We are not able to provide super-specialty healthcare services. Patients go outside the state for treatment. We hope to check this outflow of patients and money by providing them quality super-specialty service right here," the health minister said.

On June 6, Barman had met Union health minister J.P. Nadda in New Delhi and requested him to develop Tripura Medical College and BR Ambedkar Teaching Hospital on the lines of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences. Roy Barman said a detailed proposal would be sent to the Centre.