Panel named to fast-track Rs 3,000 crore medical colleges, cancer facilities

MUMBAI: Medical education minister Girish Mahajan on Tuesday set up a high-level task force headed by medical education secretary Sanjay Deshmukh to draft a plan for development of medical colleges and cancer research departments. A sum of Rs 3,000 crore has been allocated for the projects.

Besides Deshmukh, joint director T P Lahane (erstwhile J J Hospital dean), Tata Hospital director Kailash Sharma, Miraj Medical College dean Pallavi Saple, former Professor Krishna Kamble and deans of government medical colleges Nagpur and Aurangabad are members of the task force.

A senior BJP Minister said completing the projects in a time-bound period is a big challenge.

“Our aim is to at least launch all the projects in the current year and complete the maximum possible work before the 2019 state assembly elections. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has already set a deadline for all the departments. All the ongoing projects will have to be completed before the 2019 assembly polls,” he said.

Lahane has been entrusted with the task of completing the super-speciality branch of J J Hospital, Sharma given the responsibility to develop cancer hospitals. Other panel members have been entrusted with the task of setting up cancer research hospitals in selected districts across the state.

Deshmukh told TOI that the task force has been set up to ensure speedy completion of projects.

“The task force’s responsibility will submit a comprehensive proposal to the government and ensure that funds earmarked for the project are utilized properly and for the work funds have been sanctioned,” Deshmukh said.

The state has come under criticism for ‘failing’ health infrastructure in semi-urban and rural regions.

Among the projects being expedited are a Rs 1000 crore project for the super-speciality branch of J J Hospital and construction of a government medical college at Chandrapur, which is finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar’s home turf. A sum of Rs 250 crore has been earmarked for a medicine unit at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Nagpur. The orange city will also get Rs 25 crore for a government dental college, Rs 15 crore for spine care centre and Rs 120 crore for a cancer hospital.