Govt’s Volte-Face After Announcing 8th Medical College & Hospital In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: An hour after Health & Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das informed the media about the Odisha government’s decision to set up a medical college and hospital in Bhadrak, the I&PR Department on Friday issued a clarification stating that the demand is being looked into.

“The Minister had assured the legislators that he would look into the demand for a medical college,” the release said.

Das had earlier said that the district administration had identified 25 acre, on the outskirts of the Bhadrak town, and a six-storey building would be constructed on that patch of land for the proposed medical college and hospital. The construction work would begin from February next year, he added.

However, the release said the Mother Child Hospital in Bhadrak will be converted into a 100-bed hospital and Rs 6 crore will be spent for construction of road and boundary around it.

Pressure for a medical college has been mounting for the past few months.

On Wednesday, hundreds of youth had started a signature campaign, resurrecting the demand that had gathered momentum after FM Medical College and Hospital was set up in Balasore.

At present, there are seven medical colleges and hospitals in Odisha. They are SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Burla, SLN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput, Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada, FM Government Medical College and Hospital in Balasore and Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balangir.