Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asked the doctors and faculty of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) not leave the institution for private sector.

Speaking after visiting the Health Exhibition on the occasion of the 54th Institute Day of AIIMS in New Delhi, Azad said "as a Health Minister both private and public sector are the same for me but as the President of AIIMS I will ask the doctors not leave".

Referring to the professions of medicine and politics, he said one can choose between money and service, some people choose big money and less satisfaction and some less money and more satisfaction.

"I think in these professions one should go for more satisfaction," Azad added.

Recalling the vision of Jawahar Lal Nehru and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur for establishing a centre of excellence, he said that the institute was envisaged as the top referral institute for the country but over the years it has come to be burdened with normal cases at the cost of type of cases it should deal with.

"To correct all this UPA government has launched the revamping of rural health system in the country and the NRHM aims to strengthen medical facility at the district, and local levels up to the sub centres in the remote village areas by 2012," he said.

"This along with establishment of eight AIIMS like institutes and up gradation 19 medical colleges all over the country will relieve AIIMS of much of its routine normal cases and will enable it to become a ''perfect referral hospital not only for the country but for the entire world'', he added.

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