Union Health Minister JP Nadda might be on an inauguration and foundation stone laying spree for new Government medical colleges (GMCs) and hospitals in the country, but work for upgrading 39 existing ones in 19 States is yet to take off despite the Centre approving it two and half years ago.
Taking serious exception to the delay in the work which was meant to ensure better tertiary health care services to the people particularly poor in the far flung areas, a Parliamentary panel has sought to know from the Union Health Ministry about the timeframe within which the upgradation is targeted to be started.
The panel led by Member of Parliament Ram Gopal Yadav had tabled the report recently in Parliament.
In November 2013, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved proposal for upgradation of 39 GMCs in Phase III of the Central flagship Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY) costing `150 crore each with Centre contributing `120 crore.
Interestingly, the DPRs of 37 colleges have been approved so far, while tenders for just 34 GMCs have been floated. Construction work have been awarded in respect of 24 GMCs. But the work is yet to start in many of them, the panel noted, calling for expediting the job. The construction agencies are CPWD, HSCC(I) and HITES ltd.
Depending upon individual institution’s requirement and gap analysis, the upgradation may cover construction of trauma centre and/or super speciality block as centre of excellence on areas like oncology, nephrology, endocrinology, cardiology and burns & plastics etc. and procurement and installation of medical equipments for existing as well as new facilities.
States where medical colleges/institutions were proposed for upgradation are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Nadda in the past few months has been on a spree of inaugurating the newly established Government Medical Colleges and hospitals. The list is long. For instance, at Ambikapur in Surguja district in Chattisgarh he inaugurated a new Government Medical College with 100 bedded hospital while in Bhariach and Firozabad in UP he laid foundation stone for a new hospital and medical college respectively.
In May, he laid foundation stones for three medical colleges in the State — in Anantnag district and Baramulla district of Kashmir Valley and one in Rajouri district of Jammu. In February, he was in Assam for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Super Speciality Block at the Assam Medical College and Hospital.