Part 2: Central Government Hospitals — India's Best

Central government hospitals are the gold standard of public healthcare in India. Funded by the Union Government, they have the best doctors, equipment, and infrastructure. Here is a guide to the most important ones.

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The AIIMS Network (23 Institutions)

AIIMS institutions are the crown jewels. All are open to every Indian citizen regardless of state.

AIIMS Campus	Location	Best Known For
AIIMS New Delhi	Delhi	India's #1 hospital. All specialties. Trauma.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar	Odisha	Cancer, Cardiology, Emergency
AIIMS Patna	Bihar	Trauma, General Medicine
AIIMS Jodhpur	Rajasthan	Neurology, Orthopaedics
AIIMS Rishikesh	Uttarakhand	Trauma, Emergency
AIIMS Bhopal	MP	Cardiology, Gastro
AIIMS Raipur	Chhattisgarh	General Surgery
AIIMS Mangalagiri	Andhra Pradesh	Cancer, Nephrology
AIIMS Nagpur	Maharashtra	Neurosurgery
AIIMS Kalyani	West Bengal	General Medicine

OPD at all AIIMS: ₹10 registration (valid 1 year). Emergency: Free.

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Other Premier Central Institutions

PGIMER Chandigarh

• Best for: Nephrology, Hepatology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology.
• OPD: ₹30 registration.
• Why it matters: Consistently ranked #2 in India after AIIMS Delhi.

JIPMER Puducherry

• Best for: Cardiology, Paediatrics, Obstetrics, General Medicine.
• OPD: Free.
• Why it matters: One of the few institutions where OPD is 100% free.

NIMHANS Bengaluru

• Best for: Mental Health, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Epilepsy, De-addiction.
• OPD: ₹10 registration.
• Why it matters: India's #1 mental health institution. If you have depression, bipolar disorder, or epilepsy, this is the best place.

Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi

• Best for: Burns, Plastic Surgery, Orthopaedics, Emergency.
• OPD: Free. Emergency: Free.

RML Hospital, Delhi

• Best for: General Medicine, Surgery.
• OPD: ₹10. Emergency: Free.

Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai

• Best for: Cancer (India's #1 cancer hospital).
• Costs: Heavily subsidized. BPL patients get free treatment.

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Key Takeaway

Central government hospitals are open to ALL Indians. You do NOT need to be from that state. If you have a complex medical condition, a central institution should be your first choice.

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Next: Part 3 — State Government Hospitals