Chamba medical college sans building

Balkrishan Prashar

Chamba, August 12

Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College and Hospital (PJNGMC), Chamba, which was announced in 2014 and started functioning in 2017, is still awaiting its own building.

Sources said though the third batch of MBBS trainees had started at the hospital and preparations were underway for the fourth one, the construction work was yet to begin.

Currently, the college was being run from Akhandchandi Palace and the faculty and students had been residing at rented accommodation and hostels.

The sources said 14 posts of professor, 15 of associate professor, 16 assistant professor, 15 posts of tutor, 33 of senior resident and 56 posts of junior resident were vacant. For the third and fourth batches of MBBS trainees, the Medical Council of India (MCI) required additional faculty of 16 professors, 24 associate professors, 32 assistant professors, 24 tutors, 21 senior residents, and 33 junior residents.

The sanctioned strength of paramedical staff was 511, including nurses.

Local residents alleged that Chamba had always lagged behind when it came to development.

The successive governments had failed to accord priority to the district.

PC Oberoi, a local resident, urged the authorities to develop infrastructure at the medical college and start the construction work at the earliest.

On the other hand, the Principal and Dean, Prof PK Puri, said the construction plan of the medical college complex at Sarol, near Chamba, was in the final stages. The work had been awarded to NBCC Ltd, a Government of India enterprise working under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Dr Puri said the structural design comprised a trauma centre of level-II, clinical labs, academic and administrative blocks, a sarai for attendants and an auditorium, besides accommodation for staff and hostels with the parking facility.

A provision for incinerators for solid waste treatment had also been made to ensure cleanliness on the premises.