With a view to provide quality health care education and ultra modern treatment facilities, the Punjab government has finalized plot allotment policy to setup multi-specialty hospitals, medical colleges and medical research institutes in medi-city at New Chandigarh and a scrutiny committee has also been constituted to ensure transparency in allotments to eligible enterprises.Disclosing this here today, an official spokesman of housing and urban development department informed that keeping in view the massive response from the private sector to invest in health care and biosciences, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal has envisioned to setup a dedicated hub for health care facilities to realize the requirements of investors near the state capital."Total private health care spending in Punjab is about 82 percent which proves that the market is largely un-explored and it offers a good opportunity for investors to create medical facilities in the state having higher per capita income and more spending power”, the spokesman said.He informed that Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also holds the housing and urban development portfolio, had strategically visualized medi-city in New Chandigarh in the neighborhood of edu-city for development for multi-specialty hospitals, medical university, medical college cum hospital for which GMADA has reserved about 258 acres of land.
He further added that as per allotment policy recently cleared by the Deputy CM, 104 acres would be allotted to setup hospitals, medical institutes and research centers whereas balance land would be developed to construct roads, parks, green belts and parking along with residential accommodations, commercial convention centre and other utilities. He informed that 50 acres out a total of 104 acres had already been allotted to Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre which was under construction.To ensure transparency in plot allotments, Deputy Chief Minister has constituted a scrutiny committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary comprising Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare, Chief Executive Officer Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion, Secretary Housing and Urban Development, Secretary Science and Technology, Secretary Medical Education and Research, Director Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Chief Administrator GMADA as its embers.Highlighting merits of medi-city, Mr Badal stressed that availability of land, skilled manpower, connectivity by rail, road and air, excellent upcoming urban infrastructure, improved power situation, world class communication facilities, vicinity of PGIMER and upcoming Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital has offered conducive environment at New Chandigarh near Mullanpur for further development and growth of health care facilities in Punjab.