BHUBANESWAR: The State government on Tuesday urged Union Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to keep the promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in converting the Ispat General Hospital (IGH) in Rourkela city into a medical college.
Writing to Pradhan ahead of inauguration of the IGH Super Speciality Hospital by President of India Ram Nath Kovind on March 21, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik reminded the April 2, 2015 announcement by the Prime Minister for converting IGH into a medical college and Super Speciality Hospital.Referring to Pradhan’s invitation to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the inaugural function, Mallik said, “ It appears from your letter that IGH has been converted only to a 200-bed super speciality hospital and not into a medical college even after six years of the PM’s announcement.”
“It is a matter of great concern that IGH could not be upgraded to a medical college as promised. What is disturbing is that Rourkela Steel Plant has ignored the commitment made by the Prime Minister,” Mallik said.In 2015, former Union Steel Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had also assured the then Sundargarh MP that the work on medical college will begin soon.
“With the conversion of IGH into a medical college, the people of Sundargarh and nearby areas would have been immensely benefited,” Mallik said and added that non-fulfillment of the PM’s promise has disappointed the people of the district and the Steel city.
Seeking personal intervention from Pradhan, Mallik urged the Union Minister to direct the RSP authority to fulfill the promise of the Prime Minister by converting IGH into a medical college.