BARIPADA/BHUBANESWAR: Prior to the inspection of Pandit Raghunath Murmu Government Medical College and Hospital (MCH) by Medical Council of India (MCI) in Baripada, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made a surprise visit to the institution on Thursday.
During the visit to the medical college, Naveen said he is satisfied with the pace of work and the institution is ready to start admission from this current academic session.
Accompanied by Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena, Naveen visited administrative building, non-clinical laboratory and classrooms on the campus at Rangamatia and reviewed the progress of works, which are in final stages.
Barring a few district-level officials and some party leaders, many were unaware about the Chief Minister’s visit. This is being seen by some as politics played by the BJD and the BJP for taking credit for the medical college.
Never seen before, this was the first such visit by the Chief Minister to any medical college and has left many surprised. Naveen reached the spot around 12.30 pm by helicopter straight from the Assembly and spent around 30 minutes at the construction site before leaving for Bhubaneswar. He also held a review meeting with the officials of Health and Works departments in the newly-built conference hall.
The Chief Minister recalled the contribution of erstwhile king of Mayurbhanj Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo during establishment of SCBMCH at Cuttack. He directed the Health Minister to review the status of other medical colleges under construction and submit him a report in the next 15 days.
“With the establishment of the health institution, the dream of people of Mayurbhanj came true. I am satisfied with the progress of work. I am reviewing it every two weeks to ensure that the college will start functioning from this academic session,” he told reporters after the review meeting. The visit came four days after Supreme Court-mandated oversight committee approved grant of Letter of Permission (LoP) to the institution following a request from the State Government.
As the MCI did not conduct a review assessment within the due date of inspection for issuance of LoP, State Health Secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda had written to the Secretary of the apex court panel seeking his intervention in granting permission.
Naveen had laid the foundation stone for the medical college in 2015. Both the State and the Centre had provided financial assistance for the setting up of the MCH, which would cater to the patients from Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts, besides those from neighbouring West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand.
North Orissa University (NOU) gave affiliation to the MCH on July 5 last year, which was subjected to grant of permission by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under Section 10 (A) of the Indian Medial Council Act, 1956.