Even as the State Government’s proposal for upgrading four district headquarters hospitals (DHH), including the one in Mayurbhanj district, is under active consideration of the Centre, Congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) Group, Kochi, has evinced interest in setting up a medical college and hospital at Baripada.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to upgrade 54 district headquarters hospitals having bed strength between 200 -250 to medical colleges with intake capacity for 100 students during the 12th Plan period.
The State Government has submitted proposals of Balasore, Baripada, Balangir and Koraput district headquarters hospitals (DHHs) to the Ministry. If the Centre approves the Baripada DHH for upgrading it to a medical collage, the State Government will request CMI Group to relocate its proposed medical college to another backward district, sources said.
The CMI Group has proposed to set up 750- bed hospital and a nursing college with intake capacity for 100 students. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday reviewed the status of the new medical colleges proposed to be established by Government and private promoters.
The Basanta Manjari TB Hospital at Chandpur in Nayagarh district will be upgraded to a medical college.
The district administration has identified 105 acres of land for it and the project report has been prepared, the sources said. Of the three medical colleges proposed to be set by central public sector units - Nalco, MCL and NTPC - the proposal of MCL is at an advanced stage. Construction work of the medical college and hospital of MCL at Talcher will start after the project obtains forest clearance, the sources said.
Though the State Government has provided land for the proposed medical colleges of Nalco at Koraput and NTPC’s at Sundargarh, the two projects have remained non-starter. The NTPC chairman recently told reporters that proposal will be taken to the Board of Directors once its Darlipali super thermal power project is cleared.
The Chief Minister was informed that the Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital at Jaring in Kalahandi district, established by Selvam Education and Charitable Trust of Tamil Nadu, has started admitting students from the current academic year.Construction of the new medical college and hospital with 100 seats and 300 beds at Keonjhar promoted by two non-resident Indians will start soon. The promoters have planned to admit students from the 2015 academic session.
Presently, the State has three Government and five private medical colleges with student intake capacity of 1,050.