Punjab: 3 medical colleges to be set up

Chandigarh: With the state witnessing a total 1,295 MBBS seats, three new medical colleges are likely to be set up in the coming years in Punjab; expectantly bringing a colossal improvement and strength to the medical education and healthcare sector in the future.

As per recent media reports, the government has planned to set up the medical institutions each in Pathankot, Sangrur and Gurdaspur.

While for the medical college in Gurdaspur, the government has sought Union government’s approval and financial investment, the other two medical institutions in Pathankot and Sangrur will be set up under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Seeking approval and monetary grant for the establishment of the Gurdaspur medical college, the state has written to the Union government asking it to provide a grant of Rs 500 crore under the centrally sponsored scheme. Under the said scheme, the Union government will contribute around 60% of the total money for the college, while the remaining 40% will be the share of the state government.

Meanwhile, for the other two medical colleges in Pathankot and Sangrur, the state health department has approached the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) asking it to allure and refer private sector investors, who might be interested in running medical colleges in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

The executive committee of the board has reportedly accorded in-principal approval to set up both colleges in PPP mode.

It has been reported that for the medical institute in Sangrur , the government has already earmarked a site of around 30 acres, which is located near Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) satellite centre. However, land for the Pathankot medical college is yet to be identified.

As there is only one medical college functioning under the PPP mode in the state, Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), concerns are being raised against the model.

Speaking to TOI, former Registrar of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, Dr Pyara Lal Garg said, “They are privatizing medical education and it will do no good. There is already one medical college being run on PPP mode and it has been marred by controversies.”

There are a total of 10 medical colleges in Punjab; three state-run and seven private; having 1,295 MBBS seats with 845 seats are in private colleges.