ESIC regional panel approves proposal for medical college: Minister
The Statesman | 8 October 2025Speaking to The Statesman, Asansol North MLA and state cabinet minister for law, judiciary and labour, Moloy Ghatak, said that once the festive season concludes, the tendering process for the construction work of the medical college will begin.
“Not only will the ESI Hospital in Asansol be converted into a full-fledged, state government-run medical college and hospital, but 50 additional beds will also be added as part of the expansion and modernisation proposal. A nursing college has already been established within the ESI Hospital premises at a cost of Rs 8 crore, offering 50 BSc (nursing) seats. We hope it will now serve as a medical hub for the district headquarters at Asansol,” Mr Ghatak added.
The ESI Hospital already houses a dental unit, SNCU and ICU, and a 16-bed dialysis unit. Around 50,000 patients receive treatment at the hospital annually.
Mr Ghatak further said that since the government came to power in 2011, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has extended numerous developmental initiatives to Asansol — including the creation of a new health district, the establishment of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, district court, special CBI court, women’s police station, yuva awas, consumer court, and the district super speciality hospital.
In 2017, the chief minister bifurcated the erstwhile Burdwan district into East and West Burdwan. Before bifurcation, the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital served the undivided district, which now falls under East Burdwan.
To date, there is no government medical college in West Burdwan district, though several private medical colleges operate in the Durgapur sub-division.
Mr Ghatak, who also serves as chairman of the ESIC regional committee, stated that the main building would soon be handed over to the contractor for the 50-bed expansion. In the last meeting of the ESIC regional committee held before the Durga Pujas, the proposal for setting up a medical college at the ESI Hospital in Asansol was formally approved.
