CUTTACK: The department of clinical hematology of SCB medical college has been declared University Research Centre by Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS) – a step towards initiating doctoral programme in medical science in the state for the first time, Dr Mukesh Mahaling, Health and Family Welfare minister said here on Saturday.
“The state government and university are keen to focus on research. In this direction, PhD programme in medical sciences has been initiated in Odisha for the first time,” he said while inaugurating the 14th annual conference of Odisha Hematology.
“I congratulate the OUHS for recognising the Department of Clinical Hematology of SCB Medical College as a centre of excellence where the first PhD programme in medicine will commence soon,” he said.
Mahaling invited all hematologists from across the country to come and visit the premiere institute of hematology and contribute their research work and share rich knowledge. “It is a great achievement that Department of Clinical Hematology has successfully conducted 160 bone marrow transplants till now,” he said.
The university is in process of recognising departments with good number of faculties interested in doing research and making publications. The university is identifying those departments as research centres, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, vice-chancellor of OUHS Manas Ranjan Sahoo, said, in 78 years of existence of medical colleges in Odisha, there was no PhD programme in any of the medical colleges as yet. “The university has expedited the process of starting PhD programme in medical colleges. Departments are being chosen with a good number of faculties having research bent of mind. We will be having PhD programme starting from here,” he informed.
Secretary of Odisha Hematology, Prof RK Jena said, there were apprehensions that the field of hematology would not be sustained as a discipline in India. “Paradoxical though given prevalence of the hematological diseases such as anemia (65% of Indian population), thalassemia and sickle cell disease, pose major health problem, they outnumber all other diseases,” he said.
He said it was heartening to note that there are hematology departments in SCB, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, Institute Medical Science-Bhubaneswar and VIMSAR, Burla and there is active proposal to open one in MKCG medical college, Berhampur. No other state has such a big number of hematology departments like in Odisha.
Niranjan Tripathy, president of Odisha Hematology, Lucy Das, dean of SCB medical college, Braja Kishore Das, additional director of DMET and Sudha Sethy, organising secretary also spoke.