Bhubaneswar: Four premier healthcare and medical education institutions from Odisha have earned spots among the nation’s top institutions in the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) 2026 medical rankings.
Marking a historic milestone for the state’s public health infrastructure, SCB Medical College and Hospital in Kataka emerged as the top performer from Odisha, securing 15th place nationwide with an overall weighted score of 933.09 out of 1,000. This is for the first time, a state-run medical college in Odisha has outperformed the central government’s AIIMS Bhubaneswar in national rankings with the latter placed 16th nationally with 932.52 points.
The national rankings showcased strong representation from Odisha’s public medical sector, with two other state-run institutions making it to top 100. VIMSAR in Burla clinched the 64th spot, while MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Brahmapur achieved 74th rank.
The inclusion of government medical colleges from Odisha in the rankings is widely seen as a clear indicator of the state’s efforts to strengthen its medical education and healthcare sector. Officials and the Odisha Health and Family Welfare department have described the results as evidence of the state’s progress and an inspiration to aim even higher.
The state government has allocated substantial funds for infrastructure upgrades, including Rs 1,000 crore for comprehensive redevelopment of SCB Medical College and Rs 600 crore for MKCG and VIMSAR.
SCB Medical College, one of the oldest and largest medical institutions in the country established in the pre-independence era, continues to serve patients from Odisha and beyond while producing more than 2,000 trained medical and paramedical professionals each year. AIIMS Bhubaneswar, set up in 2012 under the first phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, remains a key centre for high-quality treatment.
Nationally, AIIMS New Delhi retained the top rank with a score of 953.32, followed by Madras Medical College in Chennai and JIPMER in Puducherry.