BARIPADA: Mayurbhanj Ayurvedic College, the institution that trained students and provided indoor medical treatment facilities, is lying defunct. The deserted building depicts a picture of neglect towards the world’s oldest form of study in medicine.
Started privately in 1983 in Baripada, the facility moved to a new building at Takatpur in 1990. From 1992, it started a four-and-half year course in Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) with 30 seats. Till 2007, the college managed to sail through hardships but things worsened in 2008 after the visit of a team of Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM). The council stopped admissions to the college citing inadequate number of qualified teachers.
The private college management was facing paucity of funds to engage adequate number of staff and pay salary as per the CCIM guidelines. The college was shut after 2012.
“After 2008 intake, the college couldn’t take any fresh admission due to the ban by CCIM. The last batch of 2007-08 passed out in 2012 and since then, the college has been closed,” said an Ayush doctor and staff of the college.
“When CCIM team came for inspection in 2008, we had 24 teaching staff against the requirement of 30, including 15 in higher faculties. We couldn’t pay to recruit more teachers due to financial crisis. Whatever revenue we were getting was from fees collected from the students. After closure of the college, even indoor patients do not visit the hospital for treatment,” the staff said.
“Since the district collector was the ex officio president of the management, the fees collected was fixed. The college had no other source of income. Therefore, the institution collapsed,” said Principal of the college, Sumant Behera. The structure, a three-storey building with 100-bed indoor facility and other assets, is worth ` 3 crore.
“The demand for government takeover of the institution was placed before the authorities concerned but nothing has come of it as yet,” said social activist Bibhudatta Das.
Meanwhile, Collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil and Vice-Chancellor of North Orissa University Prof Prafulla Mishra had drawn the attention of the State Government regarding revival of the institution. The Government has reportedly sanctioned `2 crore to revive it.