Punjab govt to increase 100 MBBS seats in Patiala, Amritsar college

Chandigarh: The Punjab government will add 100 seats of MBBS in both Government Medical Colleges of Patiala and Amritsar from next academic year, an official spokesman said here. A decision to this effect was taken by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the 30th meeting of governing body of Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Society, Jalandhar held under his chairmanship here on Thursday, he said.

Both the colleges currently have an intake of 150 students each for the MBBS course. The governing body also gave nod to increase intake of 47 seats in post graduation courses at Medical College Patiala. In another decision, the governing body gave its approval to spend Rs 32 crore for the purchase of equipment for upcoming Rs 60 crore state-of-the-art Cancer Diagnostic Treatment Centre at Bathinda, the spokesman said. Besides this, a Haemophilic Diagnostic Centre at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore would be set up at Patiala, he said. Badal asked the Medical Education and Research Department to set up Haemophilic Diagnostic Centre at other Government Medical and Dental Colleges also. The Chief Minister directed the concerned authorities to expedite the construction work of the Rs five crore Drug De-Addiction Centre at Patiala. He approved to constitute a committee to promote research in all the Government Medical and Dental Colleges of the state, for which Rs five crore has been approved. While reviewing the status of the various approved ongoing projects in Government Medical Colleges of the state, Badal asked to prepare a comprehensive plan for the upgradation and strengthening of Radiotherapy unit in Government Medical College, Amritsar. PTI