Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar lays foundation stone of medical college in Panchkula

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday laid the foundation stone of a medical college and hospital in Panchkula, which will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 800 crore. Khattar said the medical college and hospital, to be constructed over 30 acres of land at Sector 32 in Panchkula by the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikarn (HSVP), would be named after Dr Mangal Sen. The initial phase will involve an expenditure of Rs 500 crore, with an anticipated additional expenditure of Rs 300 crore. The entire project is slated to be completed within 30 months.

The college will have 100 MBBS seats, according to an official release. Khattar said after assuming office in 2014, his government had announced that a medical college and hospital would be built in each district of Haryana. The state had six medical colleges in 2014, he said, adding that the number went up to 12 between 2014 and 2019, and further to 15 from 2019 till date. With the completion of all such projects, the number of medical colleges in the state will increase to 29 in the future and that of the MBBS seats will go up to 3,500, the chief minister said.

Highlighting the importance of healthcare professionals, he expressed confidence that Haryana will get 3,500 doctors annually. Additionally, the number of post-graduate medical seats in the state is set to rise from 851 to 1,200, addressing the need for specialised doctors, Khattar said.

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Para-medical colleges and physiotherapy colleges will also be set up within these medical colleges, he added. This comprehensive approach aims at eliminating the shortage of both general and specialised medical professionals in the state, the chief minister said. He further said certain African countries, including Uganda, have expressed interest in forging agreements with the state government and sending their students to Haryana to enrol themselves in MBBS courses. Khattar said Uganda has a population similar to Haryana, but the country has only two medical colleges.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocates for good health and sound fitness of every individual in the country. Aligning with this vision, medical colleges are being established across the state, Khattar said, adding that apart from the Shri Krishna Ayurveda Vishwavidyalay in Kurukshetra, an Ayush AIIMS in Panchkula for natural treatment has also been set up. Additionally, the Kalpana Chawla University of Health Sciences has been made operational in Kutail, he noted. Reflecting a holistic approach, "vyamshalas" and sports nurseries have also been set up in villages, Khattar said. He added that after carrying out a mapping exercise of the villages, sports facilities, including stadia and nurseries, would be set up in 300 villages of the state this year.