Medical Colleges unlikely to meet up gradation deadlines of PMSSY

New Delhi: Government Medical Colleges and institution's up gradation under Phase-III of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), is running way behind the scheduled deadlines.Work is yet to begin in some colleges, whereas in some others where it has been initiated- it seems to becoming up at a crawling pace.

Up gradation of Sri Krishna Medical College, Muzaffarapur, Bihar has slackened due to delay in cutting of trees coming into the premises of the college.

Government Medical College, Darbhanga,Bihar is falling behind due to a delay in shifting of underground utilities and existing structures. In Government Medical College, Rajkot, Gujarat, the up gradation work is yet to start in the absence of a site.

In another case like the VSS Medical College, Burla, Odisha, and Punjab Government Medical College, Patiala dismantling of existing structures has yet to happen and approval for construction is yet to come.

The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Adilabad, Telangana, up gradation is slow because of delay in the shifting of water pipelines and open drains. The college was otherwise meant to be ready January 2018. Only 10% of the work has been completed.

The scene is no different at Government Medical College, Malda, West Bengal, where the site demarcation is not clear.At present the nurses hostel at the site is being demolished. Similarly, shifting of services at North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri, Darjeeling, West Bengal has taken so long that up gradation in all probability will also not meet its January 2018 deadline.

Work at Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary, Karnataka, has witnessed a mere 17% renovation, the deadline being September, 2017.The college's trauma centre's electric connection sanction is yet to be got. The authorities are causing unnecessary delay its sanction.

With 21% completion in Up gradation works, Government Medical College, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh is also lagging behind; its deadline ending October.

PMSSY is a Central Sector Scheme and has two components. First, to set up All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-like Institutions (also delayed); second, up gradation of existing government medical colleges. The first scheme is centre funded while the second of up gradation is both centre state dependent. About 73 government medical colleges and institutes have already been approved for up gradation in different phases under PMSSY.

The delay in establishment of AIIMS like institutions is primarily due to non availability of land says the Union Health Ministry. AIIMS like institutions for the present are to be set up in Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar.

"Problems cropped up in setting up of an AIIMS-like institute in Assam despite the land being identified there, owing to objections raised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT)," CK Mishra, Health Secretary told DNA.