Punjab announces 7 new medical colleges across state to boost medical education

Punjab is set to expand its medical education infrastructure with the establishment of seven new medical colleges across the state, Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh announced on March 5.

The proposed expansion includes two government medical colleges, two institutions to be developed under the public-private partnership model, and three colleges to be set up by private and minority organizations.

Addressing the media, Singh said construction of the Shaheed Udham Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences in Hoshiarpur will begin on March 20 and is scheduled to be completed by March 2028.

"This project has received administrative approval for ₹274.75 crore and will feature a 300-bed hospital alongside a medical college with a 100-seat annual MBBS intake," the minister said.

He said the government had reviewed earlier estimates and reduced the project cost significantly.

"After a review of previous estimates, the state government managed to reduce the project cost from an initial ₹550 crore to ₹274 crore, effectively saving nearly ₹250 crore of public funds," Singh said.

Another government medical college is planned in Kapurthala. Singh said the tendering process for the project has already been completed, and construction work will start soon.

According to the minister, two more medical colleges will be developed under the public-private partnership model in Sangrur and SBS Nagar, where the tendering process is currently underway.

He also said minority and private institutions will establish three additional colleges. A Jain minority medical college is being set up at Lehragaga in the Sangrur district after the government leased land and signed a memorandum of understanding.

A Muslim minority medical college is planned in Malerkotla, and a detailed project report has been submitted to the central government for approval. In addition, a private medical college is being developed near Ludhiana.

Singh said the new institutions will significantly strengthen medical education in Punjab and help reduce the need for students to pursue medical degrees abroad.

Punjab currently has 13 medical colleges offering around 1,900 MBBS seats. With the new colleges, the state is expected to add about 600 additional seats.

The minister also said that existing medical colleges in Patiala, Amritsar, and Faridkot are being upgraded to the postgraduate level to expand super specialty services.

Officials said the Shaheed Udham Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences in Hoshiarpur will include a five-story hospital building and a three storey academic block with laboratories, a library, and a 500-seat auditorium.

The hospital infrastructure will cover several specialties, including ICU services, general surgery, orthopedics, and psychiatry, supported by MRI and CT scan facilities.