The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre to transform Banaras Hindu University’s Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) into a ‘world class’ institute.

“The MoU has been signed to upgrade the medical college. AIIMS will provide teleconference services to the faculty (embers) and mentor them, and aid in developing super-speciality services… so that they can become a world class institution,” said AIIMS director Randeep Guleria.

The MoU was signed between the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare and the AIIMS, he said.

The health ministry, officials said, will fund the project, which is expected to benefit 20 crore people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states.

While the MoU has no timeline, doctors at IMS said that the project is expected to start reaping rewards as early as August. “Of course it is a long, ongoing project, but the target that we have in mind for seeing positive results is August 15, 2018,” they said.

Improving health care and establishment of an AIIMS in eastern Uttar Pradesh was a key poll promise by Modi in 2014. However, staff crisis has been plaguing several hospitals in Varanasi.

Sir Sunderlal Hospital, affiliated to IMS-BHU, the largest tertiary referral hospital in eastern Uttar Pradesh that treats more than 15 lakh patients annually, faces shortage of doctors, technicians and nurses, while the 324-bed Trauma Centre, which was inaugurated by Modi in 2015, too is facing a similar problem, reported The Indian Express.