To provide ample employment opportunities to State youths — by imparting medical skill training to cater needs of health sector — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday gave nod for setting up three state-of-the-art institutes of paramedical sciences at Patiala, Amritsar and Faridkot.
The decision was taken by the Chief Minister during a high-level meeting with the officers of Health and Family Welfare and Technical Education Departments besides the heads of Medical Colleges of the State.
Presiding over the meeting, Badal impressed upon the need for harnessing tremendous potential in healthcare sector by providing medical skill education to the youth so as to cope with emerging needs of this industry.
“Setting up of these institutes is the need-of-the-hour to absorb majority of youth by providing gainful employment to them in the health sector. These Institutes, to be established in the Government Medical Colleges at Patiala, Amritsar and Faridkot, would act as a catalyst in boosting Medical Tourism across the State,” he said.
Underlining the need for having airy, green and spacious campus along with ultramodern training techniques, he said that these institutes must have adequate hostel facility to cater the needs of 500 students annually. “The classes should be started at the earliest, so that youth could be imparted skill training in around 70 different courses shortlisted by the State Government,” he added.
Badal asked the officers to select appropriate sites for these institutes in Medical colleges, so that work could be started soon. “Thrust should be given to courses like home care attendants and specialised staff for taking care of the cancer patients as there is a huge surge in demand of such staff,” he added.
Advisor Health to the state government Dr KK Talwar said that sites for construction of four-five storey building campus and hostel for these institutes has already identified.
“Efforts are also afoot to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an organization Healthcare Sector Skill Council led by ace Cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan, which has expressed its keen desire to set up a Center of Excellence in Medical Care in the state,” said Dr Talwar adding that they were looking into all formalities before striking any agreement with Dr Trehan.