The state government in Gujarat has amended its brownfield medical college policy that will pave the way for setting up seven new medical colleges, said Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel on Tuesday.
The state government had introduced the policy in 2016 with an aim to start medical colleges at the district-level government hospitals. Currently, seven brownfield medical colleges are functional in the state. These include Palanpur (Banaskantha), Amreli, Dahod, Bharuch, and Tapi-Vyara.
With the amended policy, Patel said, seven new medical colleges will be started in Botad, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir-Somnath, Kheda-Nadiad, Chhota Udepur, Mahisagar-Lunawada, and Dang-Ahwa.
As per the amended policy, now the hospital will have to provide free medical treatment to pregnant women till 20 days of delivery and children up to one year. For that, a neonatal intensive care unit has to be set up. Also, for dialysis related services, the hospital will have to set up a unit of 10 beds.
The blood bank at the hospital will have to be continued even after formation of a medical college and the patients have to be provided blood as per requirement free of cost.
To expand the hospital to fulfill the requirement of minimum 300 beds, the state government will not provide any financial assistance under the policy to the person or institution setting the same. The hospital will have to implement all the schemes of the state and central governments without getting any schematic fund.