Tostrengthen the state's healthcare capabilities amid the Covid surge, PunjabChief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered immediate recruitment of 400nurses and 140 technicians to the government medical colleges, while directingthe department to expedite the medical college projects approved.
TheChief Minister, who also raised the issue during the virtual meeting earlierwith Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he will be writing soon to the latterseeking a direction to PGI Satellite Centres and Military Hospitals in Punjabto provide Covid beds to citizens. Pre-fabricated structures could be used forthis purpose, he stressed.
Virtuallyreviewing the functioning of the Department of Medical Education and Research,particularly against the backdrop of the Covid crisis, he also approvedamendment to rules for re-designating the department faculty members in atime-bound manner to bring them on a par with their peers on this count.
Onthe recruitment drive, the Chief Minister said that of the 900 posts sanctionedafter the department restructuring, 400 should be filled immediately in phaseone with hiring of nurses.
Inhiring of technicians, reasonable weightage should be given to those who arealready working on contract with the state government, he said.
MedicalEducation Minister O.P. Soni shared details of the various hospitals and medicalcolleges that are coming up in Mohali, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala.
Effortsare also being made to establish medical colleges at Malerkotla and Gurdaspurwith the approval of the Central government, he said, adding the satellitecentre of the PGI hospital will also be commissioned at Sangrur this year whileconstruction of satellite centre of the PGI at Ferozepur had started.