The minister said the PPP model would not mean higher charges for patients at the facility. The OPD registration fee would remain Rs 10, at par with government hospitals. (File)The Punjab government on Thursday issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) for setting up a medical college and teaching hospital at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), with construction expected to begin next month and the institution likely to become operational within 18 months.Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh announced the development, describing it as a Diwali gift for the Doaba region. The project, estimated to cost Rs 160 crore, will be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model by Indus Super Speciality Healthcare Private Limited.The Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has issued the award to the company under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model.The existing 150-bed district hospital at Nawanshahr will be upgraded into a 220-bed teaching hospital compliant with the norms of the National Medical Commission (NMC). The project will also include academic and residential infrastructure for the medical college and a 30-bed super-speciality cardiac care unit equipped with interventional cardiology facilities, including a catheterisation laboratory for angiography and angioplasty.Addressing a press conference, Dr Balbir Singh said that although the formal timeline for the project was three years, the government expected to complete it much earlier as several facilities, including the hospital building, dialysis centre and critical care block, were already available at the 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,” he said.The college will have 50 MBBS seats, of which 50 per cent will be reserved under the Punjab government quota. The minister said this would provide students from the state, particularly the Doaba region, an opportunity to pursue medical education closer to home.The proposed cardiac care facility is expected to cater to patients from Nawanshahr, Balachaur, Ropar, Garhshankar, Banga, Machhiwara and adjoining areas within a radius of 35 to 40 km.Story continues below this adDr Balbir Singh said patients suffering heart attacks often had to be shifted to PGI Chandigarh or referral centres in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar, resulting in delays in accessing specialised treatment.“Now, world-class emergency and cardiac treatment will be accessible right at their doorstep within the critical golden hour,” he said. Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri and Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Kumar Rahul were also present at the press conference. Rupnagar MLA Dinesh Chadha and Nawanshahr halqa in-charge Jaspreet Singh Robby Kang attended the event.The minister said the PPP model would not mean higher charges for patients at the facility. The OPD registration fee would remain Rs 10, at par with government hospitals.He added that eligible beneficiaries would be entitled to cashless treatment under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) and Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Essential medicines would be provided free of cost through the government pharmacy, while diagnostic facilities such as CT scans and MRI would be available at subsidised rates. Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly ex... Read More