₹100 crore approved for four cardiac cath labs in Maharashtra

The new cath labs to come up at district hospitals is expected to significantly reduce delays in treatment for critical heart patients who currently have to travel to Pune or Mumbai

The Maharashtra government has okayed nearly ₹100 crore to set up four cardiac catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) in Pune, Jalna, Gadhinglaj, and Kolhapur, said public health minister Prakash Abitkar. The public health department granted administrative approval of ₹99.85 crore through a government resolution issued on Friday, said officials on Saturday.

In Kolhapur district, two cath lab facilities will be made available at Gadhinglaj and Seva Hospital in Kolhapur city. The facility will also benefit neighbouring districts, including Sangli, Satara, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The new cath labs to come up at district hospitals is expected to significantly reduce delays in treatment for critical heart patients who currently have to travel to Pune or Mumbai.

In Kolhapur district, two cath lab facilities will be made available at Gadhinglaj and Seva Hospital in Kolhapur city. The facility will also benefit neighbouring districts, including Sangli, Satara, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri.

Administrative approval was granted in June 2022 for cath labs in Pune, Jalna, Gadchiroli and Nanded. The plan was revised through a government resolution dated May 22, 2025, replacing Gadchiroli with Kolhapur.

However, the revised approval did not incorporate the guidelines laid down by the expert committee constituted by the Medical Education and Drugs Department under the Government Resolution dated October 31, 2017. These guidelines are related to technical specifications, preliminary construction layouts, and equipment requirements for turnkey cath lab projects. Later, due to non-availability of space at the proposed site in Nanded, Gadhinglaj in Kolhapur district was identified as an alternative location for setting up one of the cath labs.

As per officials, the project will be implemented through the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) model. The project will be carried out in coordination with district surgeons, the directorate of health services, the health services commissionerate and the public health department.