CHANDIGARH: The UT administration has submitted a proposal to have the city’s second government medical college at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, before the central government.
Members of NITI Aayog had held a meeting with officials from different states and UTs, including UT adviser Manoj Parida, on the issue. Parida said it will be a government medical college and there were no plans to hand over GMSH to any private player. “As the administration has its own land, building and infrastructure, we will go only for a government medical college,” he said. “Though the NITI Aayog had unveiled a new plan on takeover of district government hospitals by private players, we already have Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, medical college in Chandigarh and we will not go for this option. The UT is going for government medical college only,” Parida said.
The health department had recently submitted a detailed project report to the ministry of health and family welfare for establishing a new medical college in the city.
The UT has sought approval from the Centre to upgrade GMSH to a medical college with 100 MBBS seats. Government Medical College and Hospital offers 150 MBBS seats and 125 seats for postgraduate (PG) programmes. PGI offers only postgraduate programmes with nearly 310 seats.
The 500-bed GMSH is spread over 12 acres. The health department had sought additional land to set up an academic block, libraries and hostels for the new medical college. Sources said the administration had even earmarked 15 acres for the medical college in Sarangpur village.