Punjab Governor Discusses Regional Medical Hub Proposal for Chandigarh

The proposed facility aims to ease the burden on existing government hospitals and serve patients from neighboring states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has chaired a meeting to deliberate on establishing a regional medical hub in Chandigarh to address the region's growing healthcare demands.

The proposed facility aims to ease the burden on existing government hospitals and serve patients from neighboring states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

During the meeting, Suman Singh, Director of Health Services, outlined Chandigarh's current healthcare challenges. She emphasized the need for advanced infrastructure, universal healthcare, and digital health solutions to improve diagnostics and treatment capabilities.

NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul underscored the importance of aligning the project with the "Viksit Bharat-2047" vision. He proposed that the hospital match the standards of premier institutes like AIIMS and suggested it could significantly boost medical education and research.

Governor Kataria stressed prioritizing peripheral populations and ensuring that satellite hospitals provide services equivalent to district hospitals. Discussions also explored identifying appropriate sites for the hub and promoting Chandigarh as a healthcare and training center of excellence.

The meeting further reviewed the Comprehensive School Health Programme. Proposals included mentorship initiatives, health awareness talks, and basic first-aid training in schools.

Education Secretary Prerna Puri recommended involving active and retired doctors to strengthen school health initiatives.