Punjab to set up Rs 160 crore medical college in Nawanshahr
The project will offer 50 MBBS seats under a public-private partnership model and is expected to be operational within 18 months.
The Punjab government on Thursday issued a Letter of Intent to establish a medical college and teaching hospital at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), according to The Indian Express. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh announced that the Rs 160 crore project will be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model by Indus Super Speciality Healthcare Private Limited.
The existing 150-bed district hospital in Nawanshahr will be upgraded to a 220-bed teaching hospital that meets National Medical Commission (NMC) norms. The institution will offer 50 MBBS seats, with 50 per cent reserved under the Punjab government quota.
Construction for the medical college building is expected to begin next month. While the formal timeline for the project is three years, Dr Balbir Singh said the government expects the college to be operational within 18 months because several facilities like the dialysis centre and critical care block are already available at the site.
The project includes academic and residential infrastructure, alongside a 30-bed super-speciality cardiac care unit with a catheterisation laboratory. The minister stated that the PPP model will not increase patient charges, noting that the OPD registration fee will remain Rs 10, matching government hospitals.
Eligible beneficiaries can access cashless treatment under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) and Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The minister added that essential medicines will be provided free through the government pharmacy, while diagnostic services like CT scans and MRI will be available at subsidised rates.