Foundation stone for ₹800-crore medical college laid in Panchkula

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday laid the foundation stone of a medical college and hospital to be built on 30 acres in Sector 32, Panchkula.

The chief minister said the new medical college and hospital will be named after Dr Mangal Sen, an eminent social worker, former deputy chief minister of Haryana and BJP stalwart.

The initial phase will involve an expenditure of ₹500 crore, with an anticipated additional expenditure of ₹300 crore.

The project, to be constructed by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), is slated to be completed within 30 months. It will have 100 MBBS seats to begin with.

The chief minister highlighted that after assuming office in 2014, they had announced to establish a medical college and hospital in each district. Now, except Charkhi Dadri and Palwal, a medical college and hospital had been established in every district. Out of these, 15 colleges, including six government, one aided and eight private, had already been commissioned. The process was underway for commissioning of medical college in the remaining two districts, he added.

Responding to a query, Khattar said in 2014, the state had six medical colleges. This count increased to 12 between 2014 and 2019, further reaching 15 till 2023. With the completion of all colleges, their count will rise to 29 in the future. Upon the completion of all medical colleges, the total number of MBBS seats in the state will also increase to 3,500, he added.

Highlighting the importance of healthcare professionals, the chief minister expressed confidence that the state will get 3,500 doctors annually. “Additionally, the number of PG seats is set to rise from 851 to 1,200, addressing the need for specialised doctors. Para-medical colleges and physiotherapy colleges will also be set up within these medical colleges. This comprehensive approach aims to eliminate shortages of both general and specialised medical professionals in the state,” he said.

Khattar revealed that certain African countries, including Uganda, had expressed interest in forging agreements with Haryana and sending their students to the state for MBBS courses. He said that Uganda had a population similar to Haryana, but the country had only two medical colleges.

The chief minister said apart from Shri Krishna Ayurveda Vishvidhayala in Kurukshetra, an Ayush AIIMS for natural treatment had been established in Panchkula. Additionally, Kalpana Chawla University of Health Sciences was operational in Kutail. Emphasising a holistic approach, vyamshalas and sports nurseries had also been established in villages. He further said after conducing mapping of villages, sports facilities, including stadia and nurseries, will be set up in 300 villages this year.