Medical college to come up in Palwal, panchayat transfers 47 acres
The Pelak village panchayat here has transferred over 47 acres for the setting up of the first medical college and hospital in the district. Work on the detailed project report (DPR) is likely to be taken up soon by the Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
With the lease deed for transferring the land to the DMER recently, the process of setting up the first medical college and hospital has been set into motion, according to officials of the district administration. "The land was leased by the panchayat to the DMER for 33 years on November 14," said an official.
This has paved the way for setting up the medical institution that had been announced over two years ago. He said the availability of land had been a major issue and it got resolved a few months ago when the district administration identified the land which could be transferred without any major hitch.
The project could have hit a hurdle if the government had to acquire private/farmers' land, as the consensus of owners was vital.
Deputy Commissioner Harish Vashisht said while the land for the medical college had been transferred, the DMER had to start the process of preparation of the DPR and release of tenders.
He said the establishment of a state-run medical institution would not only help in the expansion of health infrastructure in the district but also provide the state-of-the-art educational facilities in the medical field to residents, as there was no such institution in the district that came into being in 2008, he stated.
Meanwhile, the local 100-bed Civil Hospital, which has been upgraded to 200 beds, is set to get a specialised Centre of Maternal and Child Health (MCH). The state Health Department has sanctioned a budget of Rs 125 crore for the centre.
The Civil Surgeon, Dr Jai Bhagwan Jatain, said Rs 13 crore had already been transferred to the PWD, which would take up the project. The Civil Hospital received around 1,400 patients in the OPD daily, he added.
