Punjab plans to establish seven new medical colleges. Health Minister Balbir Singh announced the expansion on Thursday. The plan includes government-run institutions, public-private partnerships, and private/minority organizations. This aims to boost medical education capacity in the state.
New Medical College in Hoshiarpur
Construction for the Shaheed Udham Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences in Hoshiarpur starts March 20. The project has a target completion date of March 2028. An administrative approval of Rs 274.75 crore is allocated. The facility will house a 300-bed hospital. It will also offer 100 MBBS seats annually.
The state government reduced the project cost. Initial estimates were Rs 550 crore. The revised cost is Rs 274 crore, saving public funds. A second government medical college will open in Kapurthala. Tendering for this project is complete. Construction is expected to begin soon.
Public-Private and Minority Institutions
Two medical colleges will operate under public-private partnerships (PPP). These will be located in Sangrur and SBS Nagar. Tendering processes for these are currently underway.
A Jain minority college is planned for Lehragaga in Sangrur district. The government has leased land for this through an MoU. A Muslim minority college will be established in Malerkotla. A detailed project report has been submitted to the central government.
Additionally, a private medical college will be built near Ludhiana. The minister stated these new colleges will increase medical education seats. This will reduce the need for students to study abroad, citing countries like Ukraine, China, and Nepal.
Current Capacity and Upgrades
Punjab currently has 13 medical colleges. These offer a total of 1,900 MBBS seats. The seven new institutions are expected to add approximately 600 seats. Existing medical colleges in Patiala, Amritsar, and Faridkot are being upgraded. These upgrades will enable postgraduate training and super-speciality services.
Hoshiarpur Facility Details
The Shaheed Udham Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences will feature a five-storey hospital building. A separate three-storey medical college building is also planned. This building will include modern laboratories and a library. A 500-seat auditorium is part of the design. Clinical services will cover ICU, general surgery, orthopaedics, and psychiatry. The facility will be equipped with MRI and CT scan machines.