Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, argued for the creation of a medical college in addition to a trust-run hospital as he lay the foundation stone for two hospitals on Tuesday in Kalol, in his Gujarati constituency of Gandhinagar.
The Umiya Mata Kadva Patidar Education and Samaj Seva Trust Kalol developed the 750-bed Adarsh Multispeciality Hospital, and Shah laid the foundation stone for it.
The Home Minister also dedicated an ESIC Hospital in Kalol, which would expand the existing 50-bed decrepit hospital to a 150-bed renovated facility.
Speaking at the ceremony, Shah urged the founder of the trust hospital to “take advantage” of the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s attendance and hasten the process of establishing a medical college alongside a trust-run hospital.
He advised Dr. Atul Patel, a founding member of the hospital and a former Kalol MLA, to work on the facility’s affiliation with a medical college.
Should we take advantage of Mansukh Mandaviya’s arrival today or not? “750 beds will be made, and with an increase in facilities, you may apply, and Mansukhbhai will immediately organise and authorise for a medical college (along with the hospital),” Shah stated.
“Then Kalol’s children will gain from it… I am pleading with Dr. Atul Patel to prepare not just a hospital but also a (medical) college so that our children may study here and work in their local communities, he said.
Shah claimed that when the two hospitals’ foundations are constructed, Kalol will “have almost 850-bed facilities” within the following two years.
Shah emphasised the need for healthcare for the working population by stating that the sole healthcare facility in Sanand, where approximately 1.30 lakh people are employed at one location, is a PHC with 10 beds. We formally erected the 350-bed ESIC Hospital’s foundation yesterday. We have erected the 500-bed ESIC Hospital’s foundation stone in just two days.
Bhupendra Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Yadav, the BJP’s spokesman for Gujarat, and Dr. A K Patel, a former member of parliament from Mehsana, were all in attendance.
Yadav, who gave a brief speech in Gujarati, praised the laying of the two hospitals’ foundation stones.
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