New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS): All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) handled 30 lakh -- or three million -- outpatients and performed over 150,000 surgeries in 2015-2016, Health Minister J.P. Nadda said on Monday.

"AIIMS has contributed significantly in quality health care. It has discharged its roles as clinical provider, research institute and teaching institute with considerable accolades over the past six decades. 

"During 2015-16, AIIMS Delhi, attended to 30 lakh outpatients, 2.5 lakh inpatients and performed about 1.5 lakh surgeries," Nadda said at the Diamond Jubilee celebration function of the premier hospital and medical college here.

Highlighting the contribution of AIIMS, Nadda said that nearly 600 research projects have been conducted in the year 2015-16, and the institute attracted extramural research grants of more than Rs 70 crore in frontier and cutting-edge biomedical areas. 

"Moreover, the faculty and the scientists of the institute have published over 1,800 research papers and AIIMS has been rated third among the world's top medical institutions in publishing research," Nadda added.

AIIMS was established in 1956 and operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.