ESI hospital set to become a reality

This is the first of 11 ESI hospitals and medical colleges proposed by the Union Labour Ministry in the country to be set up during the year. The project,however,has become a bone of contention between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress,with both fighting to take credit for the project ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Moments before Fernandes and Dhumal arrived at the venue of the public meeting,organised close to the site of the project,Youth Congress workers and Dhumal supporters burst into slogans for their respective leaders. Even Congress leaders,including CLP leader Vidya Stokes,tried to make a point as to who actually deserves the credit for sanctioning the project to Himachal.

An unrelenting Dhumal did not respond to the issue specifically,but questioned the earlier Congress government in the state and the Centre for not giving Himachal its legitimate share in the BBMB,despite hundreds of families becoming landless and shelterless after submergence of fertile land under the dam.

Nevertheless,Dhumal gave the Centre its due for accepting the state’s demand to set up an ESI hospital and medical college in Himachal. The Centre has already sanctioned an Institute of Fashion Technology,a Central university and one IIT for Himachal. He said it was for the first time that such national-level institutions have been sanctioned for the state. The foundation stone for the

IIT will be laid on Tuesday by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma.

The medical college will have 50 seats,40 per cent of which will be reserved for Himachalis. The state government has given 31 acres for setting up the project.

Oscar Fernandes thanked Himachal for making the land available.

Speaking at the function,he said admissions in the ESI Medical College and Hospital would start in the next academic session of 2010-11. The institution will be instrumental in providing specialised medical services to the common people. He said it was the joint endeavour of the Centre and state governments to start the ESI Hospital and Medical College in Mandi district. He said PG courses would also be started,besides other specialised disciplines.

He said the Centre has brought the people above 60 years of age under social security system,which had benefitted about 30 crore population in the country.

State Health Minister Rajeev Bindal said the Chief Minister’s personal initiative had paid off in getting the ESI Medical College and Hospital from the Centre.

CLP leader Vidya Stokes said the specialised medical services would be available to people of the state with the operationalised ESI Medical College and Hospital. She thanked Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for sanctioning the project. The state government,she said,has also been proactive in making the project a reality.

Others who spoke included PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur,state BJP chief Jairam Thakur and MLA Prakash Chaudhry.

Earlier,Prabhat Chaturvedi,director,ESI,welcomed the Union Minister and Chief Minister and hoped that the ESI College and Hospital would be a centre of excellence.