Finally, Centre okays Rs 480-cr PGI satellite centre in Ferozepur

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, September 18

After dilly-dallying for six years, the Union Health Ministry has finally approved the Rs 475-crore PGI satellite centre in the border town. The project was sanctioned in 2013 during the fag end of the UPA-II regime.

Dr Sameer Aggarwal, nodal officer of the project, said a four-member team, headed by PGI director Prof Jagat Ram and deputy director Kumar Abhay, besides others met Health Ministry officials, including Secretary Preeti Sudan, following which the project was approved.

Dr Aggarwal said the project would include a 100-bed hospital with trauma care and emergency services, besides a 20-bed ICU with MRI and CT scan facilities. He said an annual expenditure of Rs 150 crore would be incurred on it operation once it is completed.

Pertinently, MLA Parminder Singh Pinki and Deputy Commissioner Chander Gaind had recently met Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan with a request to expedite the project.

Pinki said the centre would be equipped with tele-medicine facilities for referral, training and consultation and senior PGI doctors would be available round the clock.

The DC said the centre would also have departments of general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, paediatrics, plastic surgery, eye, ENT and anaesthesia beside others.

Earlier, the state government, following intervention of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, had transferred 25 acres belonging to the Horticulture Department at Malwal Kadim village on the Ferozepur-Moga highway for the centre.