ROURKELA: Seven months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH) of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) would be upgraded into a super-specialty hospital and medical college, there has been no visible progress. While SAIL seems to be in no hurry for the project, the BJP has gone into a damage control mode following attacks from the Opposition Congress over the issue.
Sources said given the enviable infrastructure, technical advantage and surplus land available with the IGH, it should have taken a maximum of 13 to 15 months to start super specialty treatment and medical education. However, seven months have lapsed without any major progress.
At an official function of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on April 1, Modi had announced that the Central Government has taken a decision to develop IGH into medical college-cum-super specialty hospital.
Between 2010 and 2013, the then SAIL chairman, CS Verma had thrice committed to upgrade IGH into a medical college only to flip-flop later.
In fact, just two months prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Union Steel Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had turned down the demand saying that SAIL has no expertise to run medical college and super specialty hospital. Ironically, the SAIL website stated that the steel major owns seven super-specialty hospitals and 17 hospitals that provide modern health services to its employees and their families and peripheral population.
IGH sources said the 700-bed hospital located on north-west of Odisha is among the premier multi-disciplinary hospitals in eastern India.
Among others things, it is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities like CT scan, MRI, Neuro Surgery, Neonatology, Nuclear Medicine, ICU, Burn Centre and Trauma centre.
It imparts post-graduate training (DNB) to medical professionals and runs a Nurses Training Institute. Annually, around 33,000 indoor and 15 lakh outdoor patients avail treatment.
While treatment is free for SAIL employees and their families, outside patients are charged almost at par with private hospitals.
Rourkela unit president of Congress Biren Senapati said it appears that the Steel Ministry does not care for the Prime Minister’s announcement.
On the other hand, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said efforts are underway to appoint a consultant for the project. He said once new SAIL Chairman assumes office, the issue would be put on fast track.