Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday gave his nod to upgrade the existing Government Hospital Mohali from 200 to 300 beds, as a pre-requisite for opening of a new Medical College as per the norms of Medical Council of India.
Capt Amarinder, chairing a high-level meeting to review the functioning of the Medical Education and Research Department, said that the new medical college at Mohali would be made functional at the earliest.
To bring far more efficiency in the standard of medical education, the Chief Minister asked Baba Farid University of Health Sciences vice-chancellor to crackdown on the non-professional universities and institutions that were running medical courses by duping innocent students.
He asked the VC to take stern action like slashing seats of courses being run by them, besides closing them down.
Chief Minister also instructed the Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Satish Chandra to immediately take up the issue of opening of PGI satellite centre in Ferozepur with the Central Government, as 25-acre plot had already been identified in Mallwal Kadim village at Wazidpur for transfer after approval from the Central Government.
Reviewing the progress of AIIMS project at Bhatinda, he also asked the Department to prevail upon the Centre to expedite the construction of AIIMS Bathinda so as to complete the project within the stipulated time-frame.
He also directed the Finance Department to immediately release Rs 65.95 crores for the execution of new works at Government Medical College, Patiala, of which Rs 13 crores would be spent on multi-level vehicular parking, Rs 21 crores on renovation and repair of TB Hospital Patiala, and Rs one crore for purchase of ambulances.
The Chief Minister also asked the Department to work out modalities for two more medical colleges — one each in Sangrur and Gurdaspur or Pathankot, which would go a long way in strengthening the medical education and health services in the state. Moreover, it was also a part of Congress Party's manifesto to establish five medical colleges in the state.