Chandigarh: The Punjab govt issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) for establishing a state-of-the-art Medical College and Teaching Hospital at Nawanshahr. Addressing a news conference, Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh said that Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has issued the award under the Public-Private Partnership model.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 Punjab govt 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. Now, world-class emergency and cardiac treatment will be accessible right at their doorstep within the critical golden hour,” he said.
About The Author
