CHANDIGARH: Tikshan Sood, Medical Education & Research Minister Punjab while participating in the Ninth Conference of Central Council of Health & Family Welfare at New Delhi Tuesday pleaded to sanctioning Rs. 10 crore for establishment of New Ayurveda (AYUSH) University at Distt Hoshiarpur in Punjab.

In the pattern of sanctioning of Rs.5 crore for the said purpose in Rajasthan few years ago. He said the total cost for developing a new University complex and related new infrastructure will require 20 crore and balanced 10 crore can be funded by State Government.

He further informed the members that to improve the man power of trained Ayush medical staff, Punjab is perhaps the Pioneer State in India to establish Ayush Medical Education and Research Directorate on the pattern of Central Government. In this way the overall control of Ayuvedic and Homepathie Colleges came under the Administrative control of new Directorate. For building an office complex of this Directorate of AYUSH Rs 2 crore are required.

He also suggested that keeping in view the scarcity and high cost of agriculture land in the state of Punjab, density of population and also for the compliance of orders of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India as reported in the news papers few days back, the MCI, DCI and CCIM norms pertaining to the requirement of land to set up new colleges should be amended and multistoried complex be permitted.  Also in order to lessen the massive shortage of teaching faculty in Medical,Dentral, Ayurveda and Para Medical courses, provision of guest faculty should be allowed.

He also requested that to prevent further brain drain form Government Medical, Para Medical and AYUSH Institution a Central Uniform Pay Pattern should be suggested by Union Govt. to narrow down the gap between Public and Private Institutions.

At the outset he informed that in the State of Punjab the doctor population ratio is 1:600.Currently Punjab State has 8 Medical, 13 Dental, 12 Ayurveda, 4 Homeopathy and 150 Para Medical Institutions. One medical college and 3 Dental Colleges are in the pipe line. Thus there is an intake of approximately 20,000 students per year.

From Punjab Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla Health and Family Welfare Minister Punjab, T.R.Sarangal, Secretary Health and Family Welfare  Jagjit Puri, Secretary Medical Education & Research also participated.