The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, announced that the new Government Medical College (GMC) allotted to Wardha will come up at Hinganghat on Wednesday. Wardha district is among the six new locations in Vidarbha announced by the Maharashtra government to start new medical colleges. The state got 11 new medical colleges, of which 7 are being set up in parts of the state other than Vidarbha.
Hinganghat MLA Sameer Kunawar batted for this medical college, and Bharatiya Janata Party head for the Wardha Lok Sabha constituency Sumit Wankhede wanted it for his hometown of Arvi. During the current winter session of the State Legislature, Kunawar held a dharna and observed fast in order to press his demands. The government discussed three locations—Wardha City, Talegaon, and Hinganghat—as locations for the new medical college, Fadnavis told the State Assembly.
“As per the criteria specified by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for a 100-seat GMC, a 420-bed hospital functioning for the last two years is required. Hinganghat met that requirement; hence, we decided to set up a medical college there. We have asked the District Collector of Wardha to identify land and make it available for GMC,” he explained.
Fadnavis stated that Wardha’s current 286-bed hospital doesn’t meet NMC conditions. Wardha already has a deemed-to-be university with a modern facility hospital and a government-aided medical college. Additionally, a 300-bed hospital in Talegaon is under construction, with the Maharashtra government partnering with the International Finance Corporation affiliated with the World Bank.
“As per the MoU, we can establish a medical college through a public-private partnership (PPP). The government aims to prioritize the setup of this medical college in Talegaon, complete with a 300-bed hospital,” he said.
Sameer Kunawar expressed gratitude to Devendra Fadnavis in the House right after the announcement. People in the Arvi constituency are thankful to Sumit Wankhede, who also serves as the honorary secretary to Fadnavis, for bringing the matter to the attention of the government.