Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh announced to set up a new government medical college in Kapurthala today.The new facility, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji State Institute of Medical Sciences, will be constructed at the existing Kapurthala District Hospital Complex.This is the second such institute to be announced this month following Shaheed Udham Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences in Hoshiarpur.The project, which will be established at a total cost of Rs 275 crore, will feature a 300-bedded hospital and a medical college with an annual intake of 100 MBBS students.Dr Balbir Singh said the medical institute would bolster the state’s medical education capacity and ensure that students from Punjab do not have to seek costly alternatives abroad.“Once operational, the institute will not only add 100 MBBS seats but also provide state-of-the-art secondary and tertiary care services to the people of the region. This institute will be a major source of employment, with over 1,000 people set to benefit directly, while thousands will get employment indirectly,” he said.The project to be established over an area of more than 5 lakh square feet will include six major operation theatres, a 500-capacity auditorium, advanced diagnostic facilities such as MRI and CT scan, a central lab, a blood bank, and modern teaching departments equipped with skill labs and museums.He said, “To further strengthen the healthcare network, the government hospital in Sultanpur Lodhi will be upgraded as an urban centre and the government hospital in Begowal will be upgraded as a rural centre. Both will be attached to the new Medical College in Kapurthala.”