Panaji, Sep 14 (IANS): Goa will emulate the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel super-speciality hospital in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city, to facilitate the setting up of the coastal state's first private medical college, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Saturday.

Rane also said the Health Ministry was in the process of finalising a consultant to oversee the setting up of the private medical college, in a newly-constructed building which currently houses the South Goa district hospital in Margao town, around 45 kms from Panaji.

"We have identified the South Goa district hospital as ideal place to have a private medical college for Goa. We are now appointing a consultant. We have shortlisted Price Waterhouse Cooper and Ernst and Young. One of them will be shortlisted by a committee headed by Secretary Health," Rane said.

"We have been told that the best successful model is that of the Sardar Vallabhbhai college in Gujarat, in Ahmedabad. We should look at it," Rane said, adding that the private medical college would have 700 beds.

The coastal state currently has only one medical college, the Goa Medical College and Hospital located near Panaji.

Rane said, that the need for a private medical college was felt because of a paucity of doctors in the state.

"The Prime Minister has said that the number of doctors per patient need to be increased, so that there is doctor availability. In Goa too we find a shortage of doctors," Rane said.