The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, has set up a high-powered planning and monitoring committee for the upgradation and overhauling of the government medical and dental colleges, which had been allowed to deteriorate to pathetic levels by the previous government in the state.The committee will be headed by Medical Education and Research Minister Brahm Mohindra, with former Union Minister Preneet Kaur appointed as its patron. Advisor and former chairman Medical Council of India and Director PGI, K K Talwar, has been named vice chairman, while Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences will be its ex-officio member.The Committee would submit an interim report by 31st October, 2017 and final report by December 31st, 2017, an official spokesperson disclosed here on Thursday.
The spokesperson further said that the committee had been mandated to identify gaps/shortcomings, besides suggesting and monitoring steps for improvement in the areas of infrastructure, equipment, human resources, patient care, specialist care, super specialty care, intensive care, trauma care, hospital management in its totality, teaching, research and any other aspect which is considered necessary to improve the functioning of the college and hospital to which it is attached.
The committee would also workout the feasibility of the Public Private Partnership model to augment patient care, teaching and research. It will draw out both short term and long term comprehensive Action Plan for achieving their holistic improvement.The other members of the committee are former Professor and Head Medicine Department Doctor Janak R Sachdeva, both Dr. Ajmer Singh and Dr. F Handa former Directors Research and Medical Education, President Punjab Medical Council Dr. A S Sekhon, Former President Punjab Medical Council Dr. Manmohan Singh, President IMA Sudhir Varma, President-Elect IMA Punjab Dr. Jatinder Kansal, and President IMA Punjab Dr. Bhagwant Singh.Secretary Medical Education and Research and Director Research and Medical Education would be the Ex-Officio Member and Member Secretary of the committee respectively. Medical Superintendent and Principal Government Medical/Dental College would be the ex-officio member and ex-officio member convenors respectively.It is noteworthy that Government Medical Colleges in the state have produced some of the most eminent doctors and health administrators of the country who have brought laurels to the state. Dentists educated at Government Dental Colleges have also been equally illustrious. In fact, the doctors trained in these institutions have scaled great heights of glory not only in India but all over the world and are highly acclaimed in countries like USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia etc.At one time, Government Medical Colleges of Patiala and Amritsar were rated among the top medical institutes in the country. However, over the years, these institutions have lost their sheen and their ratings among the medical colleges in the country have dropped.