Chandigarh to approach Centre to expedite upgrade of GMSH to college

The new medical college is proposed to have two branches—one at GMSH-16 and another at Sarangpur

In a bid to speed up the process of upgrading the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16 to a medical college, the UT administration will take up the matter with the central government.

The upgraded GMSH-16 will offer at least 50 MBBS seats, and an additional 50 after the projects takes off. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The administration had, in January this year, announced its intent to create a medical college at GMSH. A proposal in this regard had been prepared and sent to the Centre as well as the Medical Council of India. The pandemic, however, led to delays.

On Thursday, UT administrator VP Singh Badnore, in the war room meeting, said the proposal for the city’s second medical college, which had already been sent, needed to be expedited. UT adviser Manoj Parida added that he would take up the matter with the Medical Council of India at the earliest.

The new medical college is proposed to have two branches—one at GMSH-16 and another at Sarangpur. The exact site for a campus in Sarangpur is yet to be demarcated, but the UT health department has requested around 15 acre land for the purpose.

With land obtained free of cost from the administration, total cost of the project will be limited to constructions costs. Medical and health facilities at GMSH will be utilised for the college. Additional infrastructure in the existing compound may also be created on spare land. Rest of the infrastructure required for running the college such as office spaces will come up at Sarangpur.

The upgraded GMSH-16 will offer at least 50 MBBS seats, and an additional 50 after the projects takes off.