Cuttack: The old Out Patient Department (OPD) building of SCB Medical College and Hospital will be converted into a museum.
Work is on to turn the hospital into a world-class healthcare institution and the old OPD building will be turned into a museum to retain its historical significance.
“Since the British-era OPD building stands witness to the commencement of the hospital, we are planning to protect and preserve it. We have held discussions on the plan and will propose to the government to turn it into a museum,” said SCB Superintendent Lucy Das, according to media reports.
The OPD building was constructed in the 1940s by the Soor brothers — Rai Saheb NN Soor and Dhirendra Nath Soor — with timber beams and iron joints on the ground floor supporting the roof.
According to historians, a dispensary was set up in the OPD building to offer healthcare services to devotees visiting Jagannath temple in Puri, especially during Rath Yatra.
The dispensary was named Orissa Medical College in 1944.
After expansion of the hospital, OPD services were started from the double-storey building.
