Ludhiana, April 22
The Punjab Government will spend Rs 50 crore during the current financial year on upgrading the existing facilities and to creating more infrastructure in medical colleges in the state in its continuing endeavour to improve medical education and research.
This was stated by Mr Santokh Singh, Minister for Medical Education and Research while addressing a function organised by Gayatri Club to mark the Baisakhi celebrations. He said medical institutions were neglected by the previous government as a result of which basic facilities were lacking a large number of vacancies in these institutions had adversely affected the teaching standards. “For the past three years, the then government did not provide any funds to medical institutions for the purchase of instruments and medicines.”
The minister maintained that the present government had formulated a policy to fill vacant posts in all three government medical colleges in Punjab. These institutions would also be provided adequate funds for the purchase of new instruments, medicines and other teaching aids so that top quality medical education could be imparted. Similarly, the hospitals attached to these medical colleges would also be equipped with the latest facilities and modern diagnostic aids, he added.
Mr Santokh Singh, while stressing on steps for expansion of medical education, said work on the proposed new medical college at Jalandhar would be completed by the end of this year and the first batch of 100 students for the MBBS course would be admitted in the academic year 2004. The 500-bedded hospital to be attached to the new college would also be functional by the next year. He claimed that the medical college and hospital would have the most modern equipment, diagnostic aids and teaching facilities.
Making clear the government’s intentions to rid the entrance test for admission to the MBBS course, of all irregularities and ambiguities, the minister vowed that the examination process would be completely transparent and the aspiring candidates would get admission purely on merit without any other consideration.
He said the government had directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to complete its inquiry into the alleged kidney scam so that the culprits could be brought to book. In addition, the government would come out with a comprehensive policy to safeguard the rights of kidney donors. The minister said the government was committed to effectively checking female foeticide. In order to achieve this objective, the PNDT Act was being scrupulously implemented and till date 26 persons had been prosecuted for defiance.
