Gujarat govt plans medical university

The Gujarat government will soon set up a medical university and is working out a plan to boost health tourism, chief minister Narendra Modi said.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the South Gujarat Medical College and Hospital in Surat on Wednesday. Modi said the proposed medical university will be set up at a cost of Rs 70 crore.

The university will have 100 MBBS seats and 750 beds for patients.

"We have realised that we require more facilities for higher education. That is why the new initiative," Modi said.

On splitting the Gujarat Agricultural University into four different universities, the chief minister said all the four different universities would specialise in a particular faculty and become centres of excellence.

"Years ago, a small pharmaceutical college had been set up in Ahmedabad which has now become a big establishment. Gujarat has also become the number one state in the production and export of pharmaceuticals," the chief minister said.

The Ayurvedic University in the state will be transformed into a world class institution, Modi said and expressed his willingness to set up a nursing institute in the private sector.

Earlier, laying the foundation stone for the college, deputy prime minister L K Advani said India had failed to progress because of the faulty economic policy followed in the past. The old policies ignored priority sectors such as health and education, Advani said.

"We have to change this situation," he said.

Lauding the achievements of the country in medical education, Advani said the doctors of Indian origin had been instrumental in boosting the country's foreign exchange reserve.

Union rural development minister and trust president Kashiram Rana said the medical college would help in creating new opportunities for the meritorious students of Gujarat.

"Students of Gujarat opting for medical education have to travel to distant places and pay huge amounts as donation to get admissions. This college will solve these problems," Rana said.