He noted that the Government of India, under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), established AIIMS Mangalagiri after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. AIIMS Mangalagiri has rapidly emerged as a premier institution providing quality tertiary healthcare, medical education and research to lakhs of patients from Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring States. AIIMS Mangalagiri was approved in 2015 under PMSSY and has steadily expanded its academic and clinical services. For example, Jammu & Kashmir has AIIMS Vijaypur (Jammu) and AIIMS Awantipora (Kashmir), while Bihar has AIIMS Patna and AIIMS Darbhanga. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh also deserves multiple AIIMS institutions considering its geographical spread, population distribution and regional healthcare needs, he added.