Regional Institute of Medical Sciences

A 300 bedded General Hospital was inaugurated by Shri Y.B. Chavan, the then Union Home Minister on 22 October 1968. It is still being used as the main hospital block. On 22 May 1972 the foundation stone of the first ever medical college, on the soil of Manipur, having the name of Manipur Medical College was laid by Shri B.K. Nehru, the then Governor of Manipur.

The Medical College was established as a joint venture of the North Eastern States. On 14 September 1972, the name of the college was changed to Regional Medical College, Imphal. The college was later renamed as North Eastern Regional Medical College under the management of North Eastern Regional Medical College Society. From August 1976, it was run under the Ministry of Home, Government of India and was the only medical college run by the Ministry of Home. Nearly 19 years later, the college was again renamed as Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and its management was taken over by NEC, Ministry of DoNER, Government of India from 1 April 1995. After exactly 12 years, on the historic day of 1 April 2007, the institute was transferred to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

It is an institution of regional importance catering to the needs of the North Eastern Region in the field of medical education by providing undergraduate and post graduate courses, bringing together in one place the educational facilities for the training of personnel in all important branches of medical specialties. RIMS is a 1074 bedded teaching hospital, equipped with modern state of the art equipment and teaching facilities having an intake capacity of 100 undergraduate, 145 Postgraduate Degree and 6 Postgraduate Diploma seats. The Hospital normally provides services to more than 2.4 lakh out-door patients and admits over 31 thousand patients in a year. It has MEDLINE access from WHO, Tele-medicine Centre, Regional Medical Library, Advanced Hospital Information and Management System etc. The institute is affiliated to Manipur University, Imphal and fulfills the prescribed norms of the Medical Council of India.

RIMS was ranked 38th among medical section in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework in 2020.[3]

The institute is managed at two levels – (i). by the Executive Council chaired by the Secretary, North Eastern Council (NEC) in which the Health commissioner of the seven beneficiary states, Director General of Health, Govt. of India, the Joint Secretary, MDoNER and Vice Chancellor, Manipur University are the members, and (ii). the Board of Governors chaired by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur in which Health Ministers of the seven beneficiary states, DGH, Joint Secretary, MDoNER and Vice Chancellor of Manipur University are the members. For both the management bodies, Director, RIMS is the Member Secretary. The institute is fully funded by the Government of India through the North Eastern Council effective from 01 to 04-2002.

Initially the institute was under the administrative control of the Government of Manipur. Consequent upon formation of a society and registered under the Society's Regulation Act. 1860 (Central Act XXI of 1860) to grant autonomy on the initiative of the North Eastern Council, the management was taken over by the Society from 1 August 1976 with the Chief Minister of Manipur as the Chairman and the Head of the Institute as Secretary.

The institute is managed with the financial support from the constituent states and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, through North Eastern Council. The sharing pattern from the year 1995–96 to 2001-02 was as follows:

• Non recurring expenses - 100% by NEC both for College & Hospital.
• Recurring expenses
  • College NEC (50%) - Beneficiary States 50% as per seat allotted.
  • Hospital NEC (50%) - 25% by the Govt. of Manipur + 25% by other five constituent states on equal basis.

With the implementation of the 10th Five Years Plan, the present funding pattern is 100% for both recurring and non recurring expenses by the North Eastern Council, Shillong.

The RIMS Hospital has 1074 bed strength.[4] The erstwhile General Hospital of the Govt. of Manipur was attached for teaching purpose with bed strength of 250.

Round the year, Doctors are attending number of OPD patients and numbers of patients are admitted in the hospital. There had been better nursing care with the induction of more staff nurses. It has 18 clinical departments, Casualty and emergency ward and a blood bank. Number of voluntary donors are donating blood and the blood bank continues to provide blood whenever needed. It has a stand-by Diesel Generator of 250 KVA capacity also.[5]

Undergraduate (MBBS), BDS, postgraduate diplomas and degrees - (M.S., M.D.), D.M. (Nephrology), M.Ch. ( Urology, Plastic Surgery) courses are conducted at RIMS. MPhil and PhD programmes are also offered.

There is a Regional Medical library with the facilities of Internet and MEDLARS. There are 9 (nine) Lecture Halls, one indoor stadium with Gallery, an auditorium known as Jubilee Hall with 1000 capacity Balcony Seating, 3 canteens, 12 hostels ( PG Hostels, 6 MBBS students hostels), 249 staff Quarters and 1 Guest House. There is a branch of UBI and also Bank of Baroda [BOB] in the campus with an ATM Facility.

The Manipur State medico legal centre is at Forensic Medicine department, RIMS. It is also one of the 8 AIDS referral centers of India. A 6 (six) bodies cold storage is also in the Anatomy & Forensic Dept.

On 7 January 1995, several CRPF personnel were fired at by suspected members of an armed opposition group in a toilet complex attached to the RMC (RIMS) Hospital, Imphal. Together with other CRPF personnel who arrived on the scene, twelve CRPF officials returned fire. A total of nine civilians were killed including an MBBS student from Arunachal Pradesh, Momi Riba.[7]

On 17 March 2008 the Ad hoc Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Guwahati has convicted four CRPF personnel for killing the nine civilians.[8]

• RIMS Official Website