Health Minister Veena George on Saturday said the State should not be denied an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) over arguments about its location.She said only a political decision by the Centre was pending on the much-awaited project. Both the present Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and his predecessor Mansukh Mandaviya had responded positively to Kerala’s demand for the premier medical institute, she told reporters here.Mr. Mandaviya had even said the State “definitely deserved” an AIIMS, she recalled.Asked about the ongoing discussions over the location, Ms. George said the project should not be withheld on account of such debates.“Only a political decision of the Centre is pending now. That decision should be taken at the earliest,” she said.The Minister added that setting up an AIIMS was a long-standing demand of the people of Kerala.Her remarks came days after Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi called for an AIIMS in Alappuzha district.Published - September 27, 2025 08:58 pm IST