3 sites shortlisted for setting up of ESIC Medical College

The district administration has shortlisted three three sites for the setting up of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College and a proposal has been sent to the ESIC.

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One site proposed is of BL Kapur Memorial Hospital. Constructed on 17-acre land, the hospital was closed down in 2019 after its lease was not extended by the government. The 100-bed hospital was run by the Lahore Hospital Society, which also ran a nursing school on the premises.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Amarjit Singh Bains said out of the three locations proposed, one location is Dr BL Kapur Hospital. “The site proposals have been sent and we have also listed the pros and cons. The best part about Dr BL Kapur Hospital site is that it is in city while the other two sites are on the outskirts. People have always known this site as a hospital since years. But the unfavourable factor about this site is the traffic issue that patients coming to the hospital will face since it is located in the interiors of the city.”

The second site that the administration has proposed is on Chandigarh Road, opposite Vardhman mills. This land is owned by the GLADA and will be roughly around 12 acres.

The third proposed site is land owner by Ministry of Labour and Employment at Doraha. There was a proposal to set up ATI here which could not be materialised. The land is roughly around 45 acres and proposal is to use part of it for setting up of the medical college. The only disadvantage about this site is that it is far off from the city and patients will be required to travel nearly half an hour to 45 minutes to reach here,” said ADC Bains.

According to a senior official in ESIC, the Kapur Hospital site seems more appropriate as it is in the city and easy approachable while the Doraha site is far off and will consume lot of time. Talks are still on for finalising the site, he said.

The medical college is one of the 10 ESICs announced to open across the country in September. This will be the first public sector institution while two private medical colleges, Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) are already functioning in Ludhiana.