The district administration, in coordination with the Health Department, has sent a detailed proposal to the state government for the establishment of a medical college in Kullu district.
According to official sources, more than 140 bighas have been identified at Bhulang near Bhuntar for the proposed medical college.
The Health Department has selected the site and the proposal was recently routed through the district administration to the state government for its consideration and approval. If sanctioned, the institution is expected to significantly strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in Kullu.
Residents, public representatives and civil society groups have consistently been raising the demand of a medical college in Kullu for years.
At present, the Regional Hospital, Kullu, caters not only to the local population but also to patients from several adjoining and remote areas, including the Balh and Bali Chowki regions of Mandi district, Lahaul and Spiti district and the remote Pangi valley of Chamba district.
For advanced medical treatment, patients from these areas often have to travel long distances to major referral centres such as the PGI, Chandigarh; Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla; AIIMS-Bilaspur or Medical College, Ner Chowk.
Health Department officials believe that the opening of a medical college in Kullu will drastically reduce the financial and travelling burden on patients while ensuring timely access to specialised healthcare services closer to home. It will also help decongest the existing tertiary institutions of the state.
Kullu Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Ranjit Thakur said that the Health Department had completed the land selection process and a proposal had been sent to the government.
He expressed optimism that the project would move forward in due course. He reiterated that strengthening healthcare facilities in the district was their top priority.
Besides the proposed medical college, the Health Department was also working to upgrade the existing facilities.
Dr Ranjit Thakur said that a cath lab (cardiac catheterization laboratory) was likely to be commissioned at the Regional Hospital, Kullu, soon. This facility would be a major relief for cardiac patients, who at present had to travel outside the district for procedures related to heart ailments.
If approved, the medical college in Kullu was expected to improve healthcare delivery and create new opportunities for medical education, employment and the overall regional development.