PGI poised to get final nod for MBBS course today

Chandigarh: Premier medical institute PGI is poised to secure the final nod for MBBS course at its satellite centre in Sarangpur during its governing body and institute body meetings to be held under chairmanship of Union minister of health and family welfare Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Following the decision, the multispecialty blocks planned would be reduced to fit in the 25-acre of land for the medical college.

As the meetings are being held after a gap of two years, many agendas that are lined up may not be taken. Sources said the MBBS courses, seniority list and new posts to be filed up would be prioritised by the ministry.

In April, the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) gave in-principle approval to start the MBBS programme. The next stage is clearance from governing and institute bodies.

In June last year, the health ministry gave its go-ahead to start the MBBS course in PGI that had mooted the proposal.

For the centre in Sarangpur covering an area of 50.76-acre land allotted to the PGI, the earlier plan was to carve out space for 500-bed trauma centre, screening OPD, 500-bed cancer centre, 600-bed gastroenterology and hepatology centre, endocrinology centre and learning resource centre along with 250-300 bedded infectious disease hospital. “When half of the land will be for the medical college, some of the superspecialty blocks will have to go off the list. The OPDs will be shifted to this satellite centre from the PGI campus in Chandigarh,” said an official.

It is expected that the college will start by 2025/2026 after the National Medical Council’s inspection. Sources in the ministry said 100 seats would be later added. “PGI’s different departments have been waiting for additional manpower for a while, which is expected to be cleared after the authorising bodies’ meeting on Wednesday,” said an official.