New medical college in Koraput inaugurated, classes to commence tomorrow

Koraput: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the much-awaited Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLNMCH) here on Monday.
“It is indeed a historical occasion for all of us. With this medical college and hospital, a long cherished dream has become a reality. Now, the number of MBBS seats in the state has gone up to 850. We expect to have 200 more seats by next year,” Naveen said.
Health Minister Pratap Jena, SC and ST Affairs Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, MP Jhinna Hikaka and other leaders were present on the occasion.
Earlier in the day, police had detained several Congress members, including MLAs Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Krushna Chandra Salia, Chandrasekhar Majhi and Kailash Chandra Kulesika, for waving black flags at the chief minister opposing his visit to the district.
SLNMCH is the fourth government medical college to have been set up in the state after a gap of nearly 55 years. The classes will begin from Wednesday coinciding with Teacher’s Day. As many as 22 professors and 28 assistant professors have been already been posted at the institute.
In June, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry had issued Letter of Permission to the Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, allowing admission for 100 seats in under-graduate course from 2017-18 academic session.
The Chief Minister had laid the foundation stone of the college at Koraput on August 3, 2015. It has come up over 52 acre of land adjacent to the district headquarters hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 187 crore with 75 per cent Central assistance.
Naveen is slated to inaugurate Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital at Baripada on Wednesday.
On Monday, Jena had said that these hospitals have been established in these two regions keeping in mind the large number of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe inhabitants, who no longer have to travel all the way to Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Burla, Cuttack and Rourkela for quality healthcare services.