— PUNJAB GOVT FULFILLS YET ANOTHER MAJOR COMMITMENT MADE TO PEOPLE: DR BALBIR SINGH
— ₹160 CRORE PPP PROJECT TO BRING 50 MBBS SEATS & 30-BED SUPER-SPECIALTY CARDIAC CARE UNIT TO NAWANSHAHR
— 50% SEATS RESERVED UNDER GOVERNMENT QUOTA, SAYS DR BALBIR SINGH
— OPD SLIP TO REMAIN JUST ₹10 WITH FREE CASHLESS TREATMENT UNDER MMSY
Chandigarh, November 5:
Terming it as a historic Diwali gift from Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann to the people of the state, particularly the Doaba region, Punjab Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education & Research Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Thursday announced that the Punjab Government has fulfilled another major promise by issuing the Letter of Intent (LoI) for establishing a state-of-the-art Medical College and Teaching Hospital at Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan alongside Punjab Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri and Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Kumar Rahul, Dr Balbir Singh said that the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has issued the award to M/s Indus Super Speciality Healthcare Private Limited under the Public-Private Partnership (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer – DBFOT) model. MLA Rupnagar Dinesh Chadha and Halqa Incharge Nawanshahr Jaspreet Singh Robby Kang were also present.
Dr Balbir Singh stated that the project involves an investment of approximately ₹160 crore, under which the existing 150-bed District Hospital at Nawanshahr will be substantially upgraded into a full-fledged, National Medical Commission (NMC)-compliant 220-bed teaching hospital along with dedicated academic and residential infrastructure. The complex will also house an advanced 30-bed Super-Specialty Cardiac Care Unit equipped with interventional cardiology facilities, including a Catheterisation Laboratory (Cath Lab) for angiography and angioplasty.
“Though the formal timeline allows up to three years, since the hospital building, dialysis centre, and critical care block already exist on site, construction for the medical college building will begin next month, and we expect the medical college to be operational within just a year-and-a-half,” Dr Balbir Singh asserted.
The Health Minister said that out of the 50 annual MBBS seats, 50% will be strictly reserved under the Punjab Government quota, enabling bright local youth to pursue medical education affordably close to home.
Highlighting the immense benefits for the region, the Health Minister said this milestone project will prove to be a lifeline for residents of Nawanshahr, Balachaur, Ropar, Garhshankar, Banga, Machhiwara, and surrounding belts across a 35 to 40 km radius. “Earlier, patients suffering acute heart attacks had to be rushed all the way to PGI Chandigarh, or distant referral centres in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, or Amritsar, often losing precious lives on the way. Now, world-class emergency and cardiac treatment will be accessible right at their doorstep within the critical ‘golden hour’,” he said.
Reiterating that healthcare accessibility for the common man remains uncompromisingly protected, Dr Balbir Singh said, “The OPD slip fee will continue to be just ₹10, same as in any government hospital. Needy and eligible beneficiaries will receive 100% cashless, free treatment under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) and AB-PMJAY. Essential medicines will be provided completely free of cost through the government pharmacy, while CT scan, MRI, and other diagnostic tests will be offered at highly subsidised rates.”
