Gandhinagar, Jan 3 (IANS): Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Thursday said the Centre has given its go-ahead to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rajkot at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore.

"The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has given the permission for setting up an AIIMS at Rajkot. The institute will have medical education, research and a hospital with at least 800-bed capacity. This will cost around Rs 1,200," said Desai.

"A Central government committee had selected Vadodara and Rajkot for setting up the institute. After considering the geographical position and factors such as local healthcare facilities, infrastructure and maximum beneficiaries, the panel decided on Rajkot. Now Gujaratis will be able to avail of specialty and super specialty health care for critical ailments," said Patel.

The minister said the state government would provide free-of-cost 20-acre land for the institute.