Punjab govt to set up new medical college in Nawanshahr with 50 MBBS seats

Chandigarh: In a boost to medical education in the state, the Punjab Government has issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) for setting up a new medical college and teaching hospital in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), with 50 MBBS seats. 

The project, estimated to cost Rs 160 crore, is expected to become operational within 18 months, with construction scheduled to begin next month.

The medical college will be developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model by Indus Super Speciality Healthcare Private Limited. The Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has issued the Letter of Intent to the company under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model.

Announcing the development, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh described the project as a Diwali gift for the Doaba region. He said the new institution would provide students, particularly those from the region, an opportunity to pursue MBBS closer to home.

The proposed college will have 50 MBBS seats, with 50 per cent of the seats reserved under the Punjab Government quota.

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As part of the project, the existing 150-bed district hospital in Nawanshahr will be upgraded into a 220-bed teaching hospital in accordance with the National Medical Commission (NMC) norms. The project will also include academic and residential facilities for the medical college.

In addition, a 30-bed super-speciality cardiac care unit will be established with facilities for interventional cardiology, including a catheterisation laboratory for angiography and angioplasty.

The proposed cardiac care unit is expected to benefit patients from Nawanshahr, Balachaur, Ropar, Garhshankar, Banga, Machhiwara and nearby areas within a radius of 35 to 40 km.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Balbir Singh said as per Indian Express, that "Although the formal timeline for the project was three years, we expected to complete it much earlier as several facilities, including the hospital building, dialysis centre and critical care block, were already available at the site. Construction for the medical college building will begin next month, and we expect the medical college to be operational within just a year-and-a-half."

Dr Balbir Singh said, "Patients suffering heart attacks often had to be shifted to PGI Chandigarh or referral centres in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar, resulting in delays in accessing specialised treatment. Now, world-class emergency and cardiac treatment will be accessible right at their doorstep within the critical golden hour."

Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri and Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Kumar Rahul were also present at the press conference. Rupnagar MLA Dinesh Chadha and Nawanshahr halqa in-charge Jaspreet Singh Robby Kang attended the event.

Clarifying the financial arrangements under the PPP model, Dr Balbir Singh said the partnership would not result in higher charges for patients. The OPD registration fee would remain Rs 10, similar to other government hospitals.

He further stated that eligible patients would be entitled to cashless treatment under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) and Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Essential medicines would be provided free of cost through the government pharmacy, while diagnostic facilities such as CT scans and MRI would be available at subsidised rates.

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