550 new posts for medical colleges at Patiala, Amritsar get cabinet nod

CHANDIGARH The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved the creation of 550 posts in the government medical colleges at Patiala and Amritsar to improve and streamline

CHANDIGARH The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved the creation of 550 posts in the government medical colleges at Patiala and Amritsar to improve and streamline their functioning.

The new posts include 66 paramedics of technical nature, 464 critical posts of nurses, technicians and class 4 employees and 20 posts of Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VDRL)/Multi-disciplinary Research Units (MRU) lab projects, an official spokesperson said after a meeting of the state council of ministers chaired by chief minister Amarinder Singh.

These posts would be instrumental in putting into use the medical machinery, equipment and infrastructure, lying idle due to paucity of staff, said the spokesperson. It also gave the nod for creation and filling of five new posts in the directorate of medical education and research, along with revival of the already sanctioned nine posts under its restructuring plan.

This initiative would help provide the latest laboratory tests to the general public, and also meet the minimum requisite conditions, in conformity with the guidelines of the Medical Council of India, so as to make these institutions research-oriented.

It may be noted that a high-powered committee under the chairmanship of adviser, health and medical education, KK Talwar, which was constituted for restructuring and revamping the medical colleges, had recommended the creation/revival of these posts in order to put into use the existing working machinery and equipment/infrastructure, and also to upgrade the facilities available in the government medical colleges at Patiala and Amritsar.

MOHALI MEDICAL COLLEGE NAMED AFTER AMBEDKAR

As a tribute to legendary statesman and father of the Indian Constitution Dr BR Ambedkar, the cabinet approved the renaming of Government Medical College, SAS Nagar, Mohali, as Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences.

The Union health and family welfare ministry had conveyed its decision to establish a medical college in Mohali with provision for 100 MBBS seats under the centrally sponsored scheme of establishment of the new medical college attached with the existing district/referral hospitals’ having more than 200-bed strength.

The state government, vide its notification dated January 22, 2020, created 994 posts for the 100 MBBS seats for the institute with a permission to fill these in a phased manner as per the conditions mentioned in the notification within a period of five years.

₹650CR APPROVED FOR BUDDHA NULLAH

The cabinet also approved a ₹650-crore project to undertake rejuvenation of highly polluted Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana in the first phase.

Under the plan, an additional sewage treatment plant (STP) having a capacity of 275 MLD, including associated infrastructure, would be developed, which would go a long way in solving problems of the water body and subsequent pollution of the Sutlej, said a spokesperson of the chief minister’s office.

Pollution in the nullah is a major threat to the public health and environment. The main sources of pollution in the nullah are direct flow from industries, dairies and some slum/localities, treated effluent from existing STPs based on UASB technology not meeting the required effluent quality, and overflow from sewer lines. “The capacity of the laid sewerage system and STPs is insufficient to carry the existing flows,” the spokesperson said.

The 47.55-km-long Buddha Nullah is a seasonal tributary of the Sutlej, which emanates from the confluence of Kum Link drain and Neelon drain near Ghumait and Koomkalan, and flows in an east-west direction south of the river.