Punjab Announces Plan to Establish Seven New Medical Colleges to Expand Healthcare Education
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh has announced plans to establish seven new medical colleges across the state, aiming to expand medical education capacity and strengthen healthcare infrastructure.
Akanksha jain 
The government has announced plans to establish seven new medical colleges as part of a broader effort to expand healthcare education and strengthen medical infrastructure across the state.
The announcement was made by the state’s health and family welfare minister during a press briefing in Chandigarh. Officials said the initiative aims to increase the availability of medical education and improve access to healthcare services.
Different Models for New Institutions:
According to the minister, the proposed expansion will include a mix of public and private participation. Of the seven planned colleges:
- Two will be government‑run medical colleges.
- Two will be developed under a public‑private partnership (PPP) model.
- Three will be established by private and minority organizations.
The expansion is expected to significantly boost the state’s medical education capacity and create additional training opportunities for aspiring doctors.
New Institute Planned in Hoshiarpur:
One of the major projects announced is the institute.
Construction of the institute is scheduled to begin on March 20 and is expected to be completed by March 2028. The project has received administrative approval of approximately ₹274.75 crore.
The facility will include a 300‑bed hospital along with a medical college offering around 100 MBBS seats annually.
Additional Colleges Planned Across the State
Another government medical college is planned in it, where the tender process has already been completed, and construction is expected to begin soon.
Meanwhile, the colleges to be developed under the PPP model are expected to come up with tender processes currently underway. {index=10}
Boosting Medical Seats and Healthcare Capacity
Punjab currently has about 13 medical colleges offering roughly 1,900 MBBS seats. The new institutions are expected to add around 600 additional seats, helping address the growing demand for medical education in the state.
Officials also noted that existing government medical colleges in cities such as these are being upgraded to postgraduate institutes to expand super‑specialty healthcare services.
The government says the combined initiatives aim to strengthen medical training capacity while improving access to specialized treatment for residents across the state.
