CUTTACK: The old out-patient department (OPD) building of SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCB MCH) will be renovated and turned into a museum.
The move, aimed at retaining the historical significance of the building, comes at a time when work to turn the hospital into a world class healthcare institution, is on in full swing.
Though a notification in this regard is yet to be issued, talks are in advanced stage.
“Since the British-era OPD building stands witness to the commencement of the hospital, we are planning to protect and preserve it for the future. We have held discussions on the plan during the council meeting and will propose the government to renovate the old building and turn it into a museum,” said SCB Superintendent Lucy Das.
The OPD building was constructed in 1940s by the Soor brothers - Rai Saheb NN Soor and Dhirendra Nath Soor - with long timber beams and iron joists on the ground floor supporting the roof.
History suggests that a dispensary was set up in the OPD building to offer healthcare services to devotees visiting Jagannath temple in Puri, especially during Rath Yatra.
The dispensary was named Orissa Medical College in 1944.
After expansion of the hospital, OPD services were started from the double-storey building. This apart, the building had been providing healthcare to indoor patients of ENT department.
There are more than 20 rooms on the ground floor of the old OPD building. Most of the rooms are in a dilapidated condition due to lack of repair and maintenance.
The Roads and Buildings department had declared the structure unsafe in November 2016 following which the outdoor and indoor wings were shifted to other buildings.