Ujjain: During his visit to the review the Covid-19 situation during the second wave, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s announced that a Government Medical College would soon be set up in the city.
The expert here, however, are doubtful about the feasibility of the project.
They cite the snail-paced work of Medical Colleges in Mandsaur and Neemuch, both of which were announced three years ago as a case in point.
Secondly, approval from Central government is needed for the opening of a medical college. The Central government decides in which state and where will a medical college be opened.
Rules governing launch of Medical colleges keep varying according to the circumstances.
MLA Paras Jain proposed for opening up a Medical College in 2013. But the proposal was rejected as back then there was a rule that a government medical college cannot be opened in places which already have a private medical college. In the light of this rule, a college was opened in Ratlam district of the division.
But, recently, the above stated rule was revoked and due to this a government medical college was approved in Shivpuri.
Another rule said that there three districts can have only one Medical College. This rule was also changed in 2018.
This led to approval of medical in Mandsaur and Neemuch.
Process
The Central government will seek a proposal to open a medical college in the State. A proposal of Ujjain’s college will be submitted as per Since the CM’s announcement. For infra of medical college, the Central and State government will contribute in 50 per cent each. On an average, Rs 500 crore is spent on the infra of a medical college. This was, Madhya Pradesh will have to shell out Rs 250 crore from its coffers.
However, the State and Central government are reeling under the financial stress caused by Covid-19. As per experts the economic conditions are not likely to improve for the next 2 years. In such a situation, it can be assumed that at present, the status of this announcement will be limited only to a proposal, said an expert.
RACE TO TAKE CREDIT
Ujjain: The announcement of a government medical college in Ujjain led to a race to take credit among local leaders.
BJP media in-charge Sachin Saxena said, CM Chauhan has given the much-awaited medical college to the city of Ujjain. Being the divisional headquarters there was a continuous demand by the people's representatives of the city for a government medical college in Ujjain, which was accepted by the CM and announced it during the meeting held on Wednesday.
Corona in-charge minister welcome move
Higher education and corona in-charge minister Mohan Yadav said that it is a great achievement for Ujjain. Till now despite being a headquarter of a large division, Ujjain was deprived of such a great facility. Many patients from the surrounding districts also come to Ujjain for treatment, in such a way, this gift of the government medical college in Ujjain will prove to be important in getting a new identity in the field of health.
Firojia cites election manifesto
According to MP Anil Firojia, his election manifesto mentions that the government medical college in Ujjain is his priority.
He alleged, that he has contacted the officials in the ministry and the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in this regard, for over half a dozen times in two years. Due to technical reasons, the matter was stuck, he added.
Today after the announcement of the Chief Minister, this technical issue has also come to an end, he said.
Firojia said that on Wednesday he wrote to CM seeking government medical college in Ujjain and accordingly CM made an announcement, he claimed.
“Now I will, myself, send a proposal from the State government to the Central government and making the final announcement of the medical college from the Center,” added Firojia.
‘I am pursuing it since 2015’
On the other hand, BJP MLA Paras Jain said that he has been making continuous efforts since 2015 to fulfil the need of medical college in Ujjain. Whenever I met the CM, every time I requested him to give a gift of a medical college in Ujjain. “I had raised the issue of opening a medical college in Ujjain during the assembly sessions from time to time and demanded the opening of a medical college in Ujjain,” he said.
Party’s stand
“Chief Minister came to Ujjain today for a divisional level Covid-19 review meeting. During the meeting, the public representatives of Ujjain strongly demanded that a medical college be opened in Ujjain. Such demands have been made from time to time in the past, but in today's meeting, all the public representatives asked the CM in one voice that he should go only after making an announcement in this regard today alone. CM could not disappoint higher education minister Mohan Yadav, MP Anil Firojia, MP Jan Abhiyan Parishad vice-president Vibhash Upadhyay, MLAs Paras Jain and Bahadur Singh Chauhan and BJP presidents Vivek Joshi (urban) and Bahadur Singh Bormundla (rural) and Ujjain got the gift of medical college.”— OFFICIAL PRESS NOTE
I raised the demand first, claims twitter boy
Ex-academic secretary of Delhi University students union and Ujjain’s Twitter activist Gaurav Dhakad claimed that he had first raised the demand for government medical college. He also expressed gratitude to Union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
ABVP: It was our foremost demand
According to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarti Parishad’ Malwa unit co-organising secretary Abhishek Rathore, in wake of Ujjain being divisional headquarters and better health services were needed the most here, the ABVP raised the issue on priority basis. He said that ABVP has pressed this demand many times before the peoples’ representatives and concerned authorities.
AND THE CREDIT GOES TO…CORONA!
Ujjain: Announcement of Medical City will prove to be another crowning glory for the Mahakal City. CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Wednesday made an announcement in this regard here, but before he could reach Bhopal the local media networks were overwhelmed with the sheer volume of the press notes. The paper tigers left no stone unturned to claim their glorious contribution in securing this gift for the city.
As Indore is located in vicinity to Ujjain, this divisional headquarters always remained thirsty to have better medical facilities. When (undivided) Madhya Pradesh’s first private sector medical college was opened in the form of RD Gardi Medical College sometime in the year 2000, hopes got momentum that the people of region would get reasonable facilities. However, they were in for some bitter experiences- as Indore got medical colleges in private sector besides about five dozen ultra-modern hospitals- while they got none.
BJP is power since 2003 in the State and the party also came to power at the Centre in 2014. However, the double engine failed to provide a full-fledged medical hospital in government sector. Though people’s representative kept voicing their demands, from time-to-time, mostly for namesake.
Bhopal got AIIMS and despite policy ban Indore also sought AIIMS, but Ujjain’s peoples’ representatives looked helpless to even raise the demand of AIIMS.
Ujjain North’s BJP MLA and former cabinet minister Paras Jain, Member of Parliament Anil Firojia and Ujjain South MLA and present higher education minister Mohan Yadav made efforts for the opening of medical college during pandemic time. However, their efforts went in vain as they did not get support of State government or the Union government.
Establishing a medical college in government is not a simple task. Various technical and administrative clearances ought to be taken for it besides having a high political will to execute such an announcement. Financial issues are also likely to dominate the entire process and even if everything go in favour of the locals here than it the entire credit of fulfillment of this dream must go to corona.
