Meet the Director of Gujarat’s First AIIMS: Former CDS of Himachal Pradesh
The first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Gujarat, located near Jamnagar Highway in Parapipaliya village, is undergoing construction with a budget exceeding ₹1200 crore. The work commenced after the virtual inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 31, 2020. Scheduled for inauguration by the Prime Minister on February 25, the AIIMS hospital will commence with 250 beds for In-Patient Department (IPD) services.
The director of AIIMS, Dr. C.D. Katoch, hails from Himachal Pradesh and has previously served as a Colonel in the Indian Army, with his wife also having served in the armed forces. After retiring in 2020, Katoch has been serving as the director of AIIMS Hospital since 2021.
Katoch, a former student of a government medical college in Jammu, joined the Army Medical Corps in the year 1987. His hometown is Khaira-Palampur, a small city in Himachal Pradesh, renowned for its mini-Switzerland and divine landscapes. His wife, Dr. Shashi Katoch, is also a dentist by profession. Both Katoch and his wife served as dental surgeons in the armed forces, with Major Shashi Katoch having retired. The Katoch couple has two children.
Katoch completed his post-graduation in Internal Medicine from Delhi University in 1997. Subsequently, he specialized in Pulmonary Medicine in Pune University in 2005. He serves as a faculty member in both Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine departments, catering to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Additionally, he holds positions as an examiner and evaluator for the National Board of Examinations. Katoch has also provided guidance to medical students at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, assisting both national and international undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.
When the cloak of the pandemic shrouded the nation, the pace of work at AIIMS Hospital slowed down. However, at that time, Katoch accelerated the work of the Prime Minister’s dream project, completely revamping AIIMS and making it his own world. Through continuous hard work to enhance the hospital’s functionality, he transformed AIIMS into a beacon of excellence. Following the inauguration of AIIMS Hospital, 15 specialists will be dedicated to providing comprehensive care to patients.
The construction work of AIIMS is progressing rapidly on a 200-acre land. After the inauguration by the Prime Minister on February 25, Rajkot AIIMS will also start a multi-specialty facility with 250 beds, including IPD services. The entire responsibility of this facility will be handled by retired Colonel Dr. C.D.S. Katoch, who is the current director of AIIMS. Both husband and wife hold doctorate degrees and have served the nation in the armed forces. After a long service, both have retired from the military.
