Correspondent, Nadiad

State Health Minister Shri Nitin Patel today said that the State government is soon going to give approval to Medical policy under which subsidy will be given to new medical colleges, hospitals and taluka-district level nursing homes for purchase of costly medical equipment.

“The Chief Minister has given her approval to Health department for new policy. This policy will be OKayed soon. It will offer government benefits to organizations that want to venture into the field of medical facility like medical hospital, college, nursing home and super specialty hospitals,” Nitin Patel said at foundation stone laying function for Faculty of Medical Science and Research in Dharmsinh Desai University, Nadiad.

“Industries get subsidy, businesses and farmers get subsidy. In same way under the new policy, new medical colleges, hospitals, taluka-district level nursing homes, young doctors will be given subsidy to purchase latest medical equipment that cost even as high as Rs 5-10 crore,” he added.

He said the policy will be declared soon.

Patel said central Gujarat had one medical college at Nadiad, The government wanted to set up another medical college in Nadiad which is now coming up here. While private donor may have donated crores for this hospital cum medical college, the State government will also contribute crores for the same.

He said the State government operated medical facilities across Gujarat serve more than 1.25 crore patients every year.

He said Gujarat had less than 1,000 medical seats and thousands of bright students from this state with excellent score in exam had to give lakhs of Rupees of donation to get admission in Maharashtra and Karnataka in medical college.

“During Congress rule, our daughters and sons had to go outside the state to get medical education. We are fortunate that we after Narendrabhai became Chief Minister, he studied the situation and decided to increase the number of seats in engineering and medical colleges. The BJP government last year opened 150-seat medical education facility in Himmatnagar and another 150-bed facility in Junagadh. In the past during Congress rule there were fewer than 1,000 medical education seats in Gujarat while today there are over 3100 seats. Now another 150-seat medical education facility is coming up here in DDU, and I assure the State government will extend full cooperation in this project,” Patel said.

– DeshGujarat