The state government will set up a medical college and hospital in Purulia at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore.
The tender process is completed and construction will begin soon. The medical college will accommodate 100 students to start with and will come up at Hathara. Apart from Kolkata, this will be the sixth state-run medical college in south Bengal. The others are situated in Murshidabad, Burdwan, Bankura and West Midnapore. The medical college will have an administrative block, classrooms and lecture theatres, hostels for the students, quarters for doctors and nurses and group D staff.
After coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had made elaborate plans to develop three districts — Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore respectively.
The state government has so far set up several Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in Purulia. The state Public Health and Engineering department has chalked out a scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore to provide drinking water in rural areas.
Senior Health department officials said construction of a state-run hospital in Purulia would help the locals immensely.
During Independence, there were three medical colleges in the state, namely, the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and NRS Medical College and hospital.
Later, Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital was set up along with a Post Graduate institute at SSKM. A medical college and hospital was also set up in north Bengal and Burdwan.