Seven-Year Wait Continues for ABVIMS Medical College Building in Delhi
In a significant setback for medical education infrastructure in the national capital, the construction of the dedicated medical college building for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has failed to commence even after nearly seven years since the institute's establishment. This delay persists despite the allocation of Rs 470 crore for the project and repeated official assurances that work would begin imminently.
Foundation Stone Laid But No Construction Follows
The situation took what appeared to be a positive turn in February 2024 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally laid the foundation stone for the new medical college building at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. This ceremonial event raised expectations among students, faculty, and healthcare professionals that the long-pending construction would finally move forward after years of delays. However, as of February 2026, no actual construction work has begun on the site, leaving the project in continued limbo.
Timeline of Promises and Delays
The ABVIMS institute was officially inaugurated in December 2019 by then Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, with the first batch of MBBS students admitted that same year. Currently, the institute accommodates approximately 500 MBBS students across five different batches. Despite this substantial student population, the medical college continues to function without a proper academic building, with pre-clinical departments operating from temporary or shared spaces within the existing hospital infrastructure.
In 2023, hospital authorities announced that the master plan for the proposed 12-storeyed medical college building was complete and ready for implementation. Officials stated at that time that construction would commence shortly after receiving final approval from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The project was projected to be completed within two years, a timeline that has now expired without any visible progress.
Tree-Cutting Permission Emerges as Primary Hurdle
According to sources familiar with the project details, the current delay is primarily linked to pending permission for tree cutting on the designated construction site. This obstacle persists despite the Centre granting in-principle approval for the project and arrangements being made for compensatory plantation elsewhere. "Almost all statutory clearances were obtained earlier, including those required for construction in the Lutyens' zone. The absence of final clearance for tree cutting effectively stalled the project," revealed a source close to the development.
Ambitious Infrastructure Plans Remain on Paper
The proposed medical college building, planned on a three-acre plot within the hospital premises, was designed to be a comprehensive academic facility. The architectural plans included dedicated spaces for pre-clinical departments such as:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Pathology
- Microbiology
- Forensic Medicine
- Pharmacology
Beyond departmental spaces, the building was designed to house modern laboratories, faculty rooms, a 1,500-seat auditorium, six lecture theatres, and parking facilities for approximately 1,000 vehicles. An innovative underground subway was also planned to connect the new academic facility with the main hospital building, aiming to ease traffic congestion in the area.
Multiple Factors Contributed to Initial Delays
In 2023, officials attributed the project's slow progress to multiple factors, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the complex approval processes required due to the construction site falling within Delhi's sensitive Lutyens' zone. While most of those initial clearances have reportedly been obtained, the continued lack of physical progress has raised serious questions about project management and accountability mechanisms, especially as the medical college continues to operate with makeshift academic arrangements.
Impact on Medical Education Quality
Health experts have expressed concern that prolonged delays in establishing core academic infrastructure at a central government medical college have significant implications for teaching quality, faculty space allocation, and long-term capacity building. The absence of dedicated facilities potentially affects practical training, research opportunities, and overall educational outcomes for medical students.
Repeated attempts to seek clarification from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital authorities regarding the specific reasons for the ongoing delay and updated timelines have not yielded any response, leaving stakeholders without official communication about the project's future.
