Centre approves govt medical college in Hoshiarpur
The new GMC will be set up at a cost of ₹325 crore, of which ₹195 crore or 60% share, will be met by the Centre. It will be the first of its kind in the Kandi region with an intake capacity of 100 seats
The Centre has approved a government medical college in Hoshiarpur besides upgrading the civil hospital there.
The Union health ministry conveyed its approval to the Punjab government’s request on Tuesday evening under the centrally sponsored scheme for new medical colleges attached with existing district hospital, an official spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The new GMC will be set up at a cost of ₹325 crore, of which ₹195 crore or 60% share, will be met by the Centre. The remaining 40% or ₹130 crore will be contributed by the Punjab Government as the state’s share for the college.
The GMC is the first of its kind in the Kandi region with an intake capacity of 100 seats. It will be instrumental in providing quality health care and diagnostic services, besides giving impetus to medical education and research in the region.
Conceding to the request from chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Centre also cleared a proposal to upgrade the civil hospital from 200 to 500 beds with the latest medical infrastructure.
There are three government medical colleges in the state in Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala. Two GMCs are being set up in Mohali and Kapurthala.
CREDIT WAR
On January 23, the Union health minister Harsh Vardhan had written to Hoshiarpur member of Parliament Som Parkash, informing him that the Government of India had sanctioned the medical college in Hoshiarpur by upgrading the district hospital “on his request” .
Local BJP and Congress leaders are engaged in a credit war ever since. BJP leaders term it a victory for their party, whereas industries and commerce minister Sunder Sham Arora, who represents the assembly constituency, says the project was okayed due to the Punjab government’s “earnest efforts”.