Bhubaneswar: With the state government deciding to shift the Capital Hospital by bifurcating Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and the treating facility, the permanent campus of Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS) will come up at Unit VI in Bhubaneswar.
As part of re-development plan, the government wants to run the health university and the PG institute on the existing premises of the Capital Hospital, which will be shifted to the northern part of the city and expanded to a big referral unit, sources said.
OUHS is now functioning from its temporary campus at Sishu Bhawan Square, while PGIMER is running from Capital Hospital campus. Started in 1954 with only 60 beds, the capacity of the hospital has increased over time to 750 beds with all modern amenities and facilities, catering to over 10 lakh people.
As per the decision of a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary P K Jena, Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Ltd has prepared a comprehensive redevelopment plan for Capital Hospital with an increased bed strength of 3,200 along with a 500 plus capacity auditorium and housing for around 2,000 employees in different categories.
Health secretary Shalini Pandit was quoted by TNIE that the 3200-bed capacity is the calculated requirement of government hospital beds for Bhubaneswar and for a state-level referral hospital. As the capital has expanded, it will be appropriate to split healthcare services over two locations to decongest the main city area, she reportedly said.
The General Administration department has been asked to locate suitable land of around 35 acre in coordination with the Health and Family Welfare department in and around Patia and Chandrasekharpur for relocation of Capital Hospital.
