BHUBANESWAR: After nearly two decades, the Odisha government is finally geared up to establish Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS). Medical institutions are now being governed by general universities in the State.
Sources said the government has begun the process to identify a suitable site for the proposed university nearly six months after the State Assembly cleared the bill titled Odisha University of Health Sciences Act, 2021.
An inter-departmental meeting involving Health and Family Welfare, General Administration and Revenue and Disaster Management departments has been called for selection of the location. Last month, Dean and Principal of SCB Medical College and Hospital Prof Dr Datteswar Hota was appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to oversee initial functioning of the university.
“Before the selection of the location, the General Administration department has been asked to provide temporary accommodation for the office of the OUHS and appoint one administrative officer, preferably in the rank of Joint Secretary,” said a senior health official.
This apart, one technical coordinator in the rank of Additional Director of Medical Education and Training will also be posted to aid and assist the OSD. Additional Chief Secretary of Health RK Sharma has asked the medical branch to examine the OUHS Act 2021 regarding the provisions of affiliation and disaffiliation of medical colleges and paramedical institutions.
The medical institutions will be affiliated to OUHS after their de-affiliation from the current universities in a phase-wise manner. Odisha is perhaps the only State where medical colleges are governed by general universities and each medical college is affiliated to a separate university.
Since the OUHS Act will come into force from April, the health university is expected to function by the first week of December. More than 100 medical institutions starting from nursing to medical colleges and pharmacy allied medical science to physiotherapy will come under its ambit.
“The de-affiliation and affiliation process will take at least six months. The syllabus and examination pattern of different universities will also be clubbed together to introduce a uniform syllabus,” the official added.
Proposed in early 2000s, the by-laws and rules for the university were submitted to the government by an expert committee in 2005. On September 3, last year, the Assembly had given its nod to the OUHS Bill 2021.
NEW VARSITY
Over 100 medical institutions will be affiliated to OUHS
OUHS Act will come into force from April
Syllabus, exam pattern of different universities to be clubbed to introduce a uniform syllabus