Government medical college and hospital could soon run on solar energy
Guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced the setting up of a large-scale solar project at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). He also spoke about another project to generate electricity from medical waste generated from all the government hospitals of the city.
Bawankule made the announcements while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the LASIK laser surgery machine at the GMCH on Saturday.
Apart from Bawankule, GMCH dean Dr Abhimanyu Niswade, GMCH ophthalmology department head Dr Ashok Madan, medical superintendent Dr Jagdish Hedaoo, Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) officer on special duty (OSD) Dr MP Parchand were present on the occasion.
Bawankule said that GMCH was already trying to make the entire college dependent on solar energy. “The government has formed a separate department — Maha Urja. This drive will be initiated to make all the government hospitals in state to generate solar energy and become self-sufficient in terms of electricity,” he added. The guardian minister said that he has asked the Maha Urja general manager to make a plan for GMCH. Bawankule also spoke about the upcoming project to develop renewable energy using medical waste from GMCH, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) and Daga Hospital. “In the coming days, the medical waste will have the value equal to gold. The same waste generated at the hospitals will be used as biomass to generate electricity,” he said.
Bawankule said the district planning committee under the previous Congress-NCP government could spend only Rs175 crore annually. “Now the provision is Rs400 crore. As guardian minister, I have the power to spend Rs196 crores, which means totally Rs596 crore annually can be spent on Nagpur. This is happening for the first time in history,” he added. According to him, the present BJP government plans to prioritize four sectors — road, water, electricity and health. “The GMCH will get Rs25 crore annually,” said Bawankule.
The guardian minister said he intends to provide more funds for other developmental projects. “Along with GMCH, I have also asked the IGMCH and Daga hospitals to form DPR regarding the development needed at the hospitals and submit it to me. The only condition in that the plans should be genuine,” he said.
Source:TNN
