NEW DELHI: Recruitment for 29,000 posts at various All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have taken place in the last six months, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday.

Emphasising that the government is focusing on providing the best tertiary care to people in their own states, the Health and Family Welfare Minister told the Lok Sabha that hiring is continuing at various AIIMS.

In response to supplementaries related to AIIMS, the minister said that in the last six months, recruitment has taken place for around 29,000 positions and hiring is happening on a rotation basis, including those of SC/ST and OBC.

The government wants all AIIMS to be fully functional and the priority is to ensure the best tertiary care in the states, he said during the Question Hour.

To a member's query, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar said there was a delay in land acquisition for the AIIMS at Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

The budget for this AIIMS has been revised, the master plan has been finalised and tender has been awarded, she said and assured the member that the AIIMS will come up.

Earlier, Speaker Om Birla made obituary references to two former members.

The House also stood in silence for a brief while as a mark of respect for the two former members Harmohan Dhawan and Rubab Sayeda who passed away recently.