Our sister site in Twitter is http://twitter.com/orissalinks. (Often when we are busy or do not feel like writing a full posting here, we post a micro-blog in our Twitter sister site. The Twitter sister site also automatically adds the headline from this site and the orissagrowth site. Once in a while we will collect those headlines here. But readers wanting a broader and more immediate coverage should consider following our Twitter site at http://twitter.com/orissalinks.) Following are some selected items from that site since July 12th.
August 20th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Statesman.
Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) will set up a 500-bed medical college and hospital at Talcher in Angul district. It will also upgrade its Nehru Satabdi hospital to a super speciality hospital.
This was informed at the meeting between the state health and family welfare minister, Mr Prasanna Acharya, and MCL CMD Mr SR Upadhaya on 31 July.
… the state government recently gave its no-objection certificate, official sources said.
The medical college would be set up on a 60 acre patch of land along the same lines as Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow.
Mr Upadhaya further informed that the state health and family secretary would be the chairman of the medical college’s governing body, while the company CMD or senior director will act as the co-chairman.
August 1st, 2009
Following is from our twitter site http://twitter.com/orissalinks.
- Besides Frankfinn Bhubaneswar also has an Air hostess Academy. http://airhostessacademy.co…
- New web site of Human Development Foundation at http://www.hdf.ac.in is now active.
- So far 18+1 (director) new faculty have joined NISER Bhubaneswar. http://niser.ac.in/faculty.php 13 more have been offered.
- NISER Bhubaneswar permanent faculty: Phy (7), Bio (4), Math (3), Chemistry (4+1 Director)
- TOI http://bit.ly/18efsq Utkal university Bhubaneswar signs MoU with Central council for research in ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS)
- kalahandia> e-admission kicked off in Orissa for junior colleges: e-admission kicked off Tathya.in.. http://bit.ly/42CD3
- IIT Bhubaneswar Director could have been more imaginative in the IIT Diro’s meeting. http://bit.ly/1avLnx IIT Hyderabad D most impressive.
- Sand artist Sudarsan teams up with Vedanta University in Puri (near Bhubaneswar) http://bit.ly/4i2ql
- Sibal asked the IITs to expand into new areas like medicine and law and evolve a framework in this regard. http://bit.ly/qjTRI
- orissalinksSibal: “For eg, IIT-Kharagpur can have its campus in Delhi too. Spread your wings like an octopus, I will support you.” http://bit.ly/164HC5
- orissalinksSibal: "Why can’t you have a law school inside your campus. Why can’t an engineering student learn about management, economics and biology?”
- orissalinksIIT Bhubaneswar is just starting so it can not spread wings or have medical schools that soon. But NIT Rourkela can. We should push.
- orissalinkskalahandia> Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandirs perform exceptionally well in Orissa: Sangh schools sco.. http://bit.ly/HvlYs
- orissalinkskalahandia> Dr. Sanjib Kumar Karmee’s Letter to CM of Orissa on Medical College in Balangir: Dear .. http://bit.ly/PXtcL
- orissalinkskalahandia> Bhubaneswar to have railway medical college: Mamata Banerjee announces slew of staff-f.. http://bit.ly/HtNZA
- orissalinks.com> Orissa state cabinet approves bills for Vedanta, Sri Sri and ICFAI Universities: Following is an e.. http://bit.ly/hmqXI
- orissalinkskalahandia> Why not an IIM at Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda (BSJ) region?: Orissa likely to miss IIM .. http://bit.ly/UqN2h
- orissalinkskalahandia> Biju Patnaik Rural varsity to come up in Bhubaneswar: Biju Patnaik Rural varsity to co.. http://bit.ly/cBl6t
- orissalinkskalahandia> New in Ministry of Agriculture Orissa: Horticulture college at Chiplima, agriculture c.. http://bit.ly/FjvJz
- orissalinksVC of Central Univ of Orissa at Koraput urges center for a medical college http://bit.ly/zbfnq
- orissalinksTOI: Delhi to set up knowledge city; land earmarked. http://bit.ly/zLQyf Orissa is gifted one but many stupidly oppose.
- orissalinksXIM Bhubaneswar names its new acad. block as Tata Centenary Learning Centre; Tata Steel contributed about 1 crore to it. http://bit.ly/bwvES
Please consider joining Twitter and following Orissalinks to get similar updates immediately. That site will have original micro-postings (140 characters) as well as the headlines of the Orissalinks, Orissagrowth and Kalahandia blogs.
July 12th, 2009
Following is from Samaja:
The summary of the status is:
- Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi: Good progress, MCI visitor scheduled to visit in September for inspection
- Balangir: Govt. has received 6 proposals after its last call. The proposals are from:
- Dr.D Meher Education & Health Trust, Balangir,
- Santhigiri Ashram, Kerala,
- Sahayata Trust, Hydrabad,
- supreme Task, New Delhi,
- Vigyan Bharati Charitable Trust , Bhubaneswar and
- RVS Educational Trust, Tamil Nadu.
- Rourkela: MOU signed with Bhubaneswar based Vigyan Bharati Charitable trust. (They also run the Hi-Tech Medical college in Bhubaneswar.) Construction has started.
July 1st, 2009
Update2: Pioneer reports the Orissa health minister saying that the state has been extremely co-operative on AIIMS and the allegations of Mr. Azad is baseless. The good news is that there has been some progress in the ground and
- Out of the 14 blocks of the AIIMS, the roof works of eight blocks have already been completed.
- An alternative road has already been constructed for the Sijua village and 90 per cent work has already been completed.
- Steps have been taken to remove the high-voltage transmission line.
Following is from Samaja:
Update: TOI reports that Mr. Azad went to the AIIMS site and asked the project manager to work in three shifts and said that he will be monitoring the project every month. The first good news is that there is a project manager and some work is actually going on. 
The Central Cabinet minister of Health Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad is visiting Orissa. His answers on the lack of progress with respect to AIIMS-like institute in Bhubaneswar is shocking. This institute foundation stone was laid by then PM Vajapayee prior to 2004 during the NDA government. Since then many reports have been made and tenders have been floated which we have been tracking here. And now Mr. Azad comes and blames the state government to hide the incompetency of the central Minitry of Health in making any progress. Note that the issue of tardy or zero progress on the AIIMS has been raised multiple times earlier, including many times in the parliament and someone even made a high court case in Bihar and this is the first time the state government is being partially blamed.
This is terrible. Mr. Azad should not play politics on such an importance issue and make sure tha the AIIMS-like institute is constructed as soon as posisble. Following are excerpts from a report in Business Standard which gives indication regarding the politics being played by Mr. Azad.
”I will review the progress in all the new AIIMS projects, including the one proposed to be constructed in Bhubanewar, to ensure these are ready in about three years. I will also speak to the construction agency,” Azad said.
Claiming that the steps taken by the state government for the ambitious Rs 820 crore project were slow and sluggish, Azad added that though the detailed project report for the Orissa AIIMS was ready proper land demarcation was yet to be completed.
The state should take quick steps to remove the high power transmission line at the site along with unauthorised structures and a small village relocated, the minister said.
On its part, the Centre was taking steps to bring momentum to the project, Azad informed adding he had spoken to Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh about the need for clearance to about 90 acres of the proposed AIIMS site here.
”Since Orissa badly needs an AIIMS, we are taking all steps to ensure that the project becomes operational at the earliest,” he said.To improve the health care facilities in Orissa, both the Centre and the state government must initiate steps for early completion of AIIMS here, Azad said.
Following is my email to the PMO and Mr. Azad on this topic.
Dear Esteemed Prime Minister and Health Minister:
Please do not play politics on the AIIMS-like institute in Bhubaneswar.
The foundation stone of this institute in Bhubaneswar was laid in 2003. In between 5 years of UPA government rule has passed in Delhi and nothing visible (beyond a boundary wall) has happened.
For the last 5 years, people of Orissa, representatives of Orissa (both MLAs, MPs), and Orissa CM have raised this issue and of no avail. In response to various parliament questions your ministers have always given one excuse or other for the delay.
And now for the first time Mr. Azad comes to Bhubaneswar and lays blame on the state government. (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/centre-to-setnew-aiims-branches-in-three-years/64962/on ). This is playing politics on peoples lives and their health.
While the UPA government made a lot of progress on many fields (such as starting of classes on the new IITs, RTI, NREGS etc.) it has been grossly incompetent on the AIIMS issue.
To solve a problem, one must first admit that there is a problem. Please admit that your health ministry has been grossly incompetent and start over from there.
Please don’t play politics with people’s lives and their health. Please start the AIIMS-like institute in Bhubaneswar as soon as possible and to compensate for the delay as well as to take care of the backward areas of Orissa please immediately upgrade one of the exisiting medical college in the backward Western or Southern Orissa (one in Behampur or Burla) to the AIIMS level.
In West Bengal your are making a new AIIMS as well as upgrading Calcutta Medical College. In UP you will have a new AIIMS and are upgrading 3 medical colleges to AIIMS level.
In Mahasrashtra, Tamil Nadu, J&K and Andhra Pradesh you are upgrading two medical colleges to the AIIMS level. All these has been compiled from your web sites and PIBs and put together at https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/2111 .
Why not in Orissa? I sincerely hope that it is not because you had or have friendly governments in West Bengal, Mahasrashtra, Tamil Nadu, J&K and Andhra Pradesh and are eyeing UP and don’t really care about Orissa and its people?
Why do some other states get a new AIIMS as well as upgradation of multiple medical colleges to AIIMS level, and some get multiple upgradations to AIIMS level, while in Orissa no progress has happened for 5 years with respect to an announced AIIMS?
Sirs: Please pray tell us if this is not neglecting Orissa, what is?
Sirs: I again beg; Please do not play politics with people’s lives and health. Please expedite the establishment of AIIMS in Bhubaneswar and upgrade an exisiting medical college in the backward region of Orissa to the AIIMS level.
sincerely,
Chitta Baral
June 18th, 2009
Update: A tathya.in article says the following:
With setting up of an All India Institute of Homeopathic Science(AIIHS) in Orissa, Minister Health & Family Welfare is hoping to make this system of medicine will be more popular among the people. Mr.Achrya revealed here on 26 June that the State Government has posed for this institution to the Centre. Recently we have sent a proposal to the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), revealed Mr.Achrya. AYUSH is setting up All India institutions of Ayurveda and Homeopathy in various parts of the country. Keeping this in view, Orissa has sent the proposal entailing an investment of Rs.60-70 crores for the institution, said the Minister.
Note that in January 2008 the cabinet took decision to establish an All India Institute of Aurveda in New Delhi. See also this report in Hindu and this report in thaiindian.
Dharitri below mentions that it is one of the 5 such institutions that have been picked. On the other hand the site http://www.indianmedicine.nic.in/national-institute.asp lists the existing national institutes under the Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). They are:
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AYURVEDA (NIA) JAIPUR.
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SIDDHA (NIS), CHENNAI
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HOMOEOPATHY, KOLKATA
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NATUROPATHY, PUNE
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF UNANI MEDICINE, BANGALORE
- INSTITUTE OF POST GRADUATE TEACHING & RESEARCH IN AYURVEDA, JAMNAGAR (GUJARAT)
- RASHTRIYA AYURVED VIDYAPEETH, NEW DELHI
- Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi
Following is the report from Dharitri.
June 17th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.
While one proposal has come from the State Planning and Coordination Department (SPCD), another was offered by the Defence Department. Though these proposals are in the preliminary state as observed by ADM Sribatsa Jena, …
According to sources, the State Planning and Coordination Department has asked the district administration to identify adequate land for setting up the medical college. The district administration also earmarked a land for the purpose at Remuna.
“We have intimated SPCD Secretary Bijay Arora regarding the land position and we have a patch of land adequate enough for the purpose at Remuna. The land was earlier earmarked for setting up a hospital by some private parties, who later abandoned their ideas,” said Jena.
Meanwhile, another inquiry has come from the Defence Department, asking the district administration for feasibility of setting up a medical college in line of the Armed Forces Medical College.
“We received intimation from the Defence headquarters before the general election and we are working towards it. The district Collector will shortly hold a meeting in this regard with the directors of the PXE and ITR,” said Jena claiming the administration is keen to convert the planning into reality.
Notably, the Defence (Army) has begun initiations to establish a training school at Amarda, acquiring land including Rasgobindapur in Mayurbhanj district, besides reviving the British time unused airstrip at the place.
June 16th, 2009
Following are some excerpts from that article.
… The university hospital, which will be built near the Puri-Konark Marine Drive, will be distinctive with its world-class facilities and infrastructure. The hospital will place equal emphasis on patient care, research, and teaching. It will be staffed by renowned doctors from India and abroad. …
Commending this initiative, eminent Indian cardiologist Dr KP Misra, said, "The hospital will serve as a regional hub for critical specialties including cardiology and diabetology. As a teaching and research hospital, it will attract leading researchers and specialists in medical science from around the globe. The university’s research agenda will prioritise public health solutions that address the most prevalent medical issues in the region."
On the occasion of the launch of the Vedanta University hospital project, a national seminar on ‘Optimum Medical Education and Ethics in Clinical Practice’ was organised at Bhubaneswar. The national conference was addressed by leaders in medical science of international repute, including Padma Vibhushan Professor MS Valiathan and Padma Bhushan Professor NK Ganguly.
The conceptual planning and design of the hospital has been prepared by the leading US-based hospital design firm Perkins + Will, which has previously designed state-of-the-art teaching and research hospitals at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of California at Los Angeles.
"The 500-bed multi-specialty hospital will commence during the first phase of the University. Orders for construction have already been placed with Larsen & Toubro Limited," added Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director of the project. The university has already initiated research programmes with local relevance. Dr Dipika Mohanty, a recipient of the Biju Patnaik award for Excellence in Science and Technology, has begun a Vedanta University-sponsored research project on interventions that can address the disproportionate prevalence of anemia in infants and children of Orissa.
The Vedanta University Hospital is a cornerstone of the institution’s larger commitment to serving public needs. Students and faculty across disciplines will be encouraged to engage with local challenges, search for solutions that contribute to the development of Orissa, and pursue research priorities that have real impact on the lives of people. In addition to initiatives in medicine, the first phase of the University will include schools of education, arts & sciences, engineering, management, and nursing. The hospital and initial academic programs will begin in 2011.
June 12th, 2009
Tathya.in has a nice article about the 243 page book on Vedanta University master plan. One of the pictures in that article shows the names of the various gates. Following is an enlargement of that picture.
The name of the outer gates in anti-clockwise order are:
- Vedanta gate
- Konark gate
- Kolkata gate
- Bhubaneswar gate
- Nuanai gate
- Puri gate
The name of the inner gates are:
- The gates on the right
- Brahmaputra gate
- Ganges gate
- Godavari gate
- Narmada gate
- Sun gate (?)
- Kaveri gate
- Mahanadi gate
- Saraswati gate
- Yamuna gate
- The gates on the left
- Library gate
- North Canal gate
- Orissa gate
- New Delhi gate
- West Canal gate
- Mumbai gate
- Hyderabad gate
- South Canal gate
- Theatre gate
Some of the other landmarks that are labeled are:
- Gandhi oval
- Crescent maidan
- Nehru square
- Tagore chowk
June 8th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in thaiindian.com.
Azad said the ministry would also try to speed up the setting up of six institutes on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The government had announced the plan in 2003, but it was given a final go ahead in 2005.
Under the scheme, such institutes would be set up in Patna, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh. Azad also said the ministry would upgrade 13 other medical institutes in the country.
He said after the six AIIMS like institutes come up, the government plans to start two more such institutes and also upgrade six medical institutes.
May 29th, 2009
The AICTE application status for engineering colleges until 12/31/2008 is at https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/2162. Until then 68 engineering colleges had AICTE approval, 5 (=68-63) of which are probably new and 53 more had applied for AICTE approval. As per a recent report in Pioneer 40 new engineering colleges and 5 new medical colleges have applied for state government approval and at present there are 63 engineering colleges in the state.
Since as per https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/2162 53 engineering colleges have applied for AICTE approval, I assume the engineering colleges apply for state approval and BPUT affiliation after they have received AICTE approval and except in rare cases they get the state approval and BPUT affiliation. So it is possible that there will be 40 new engineering colleges this year.
The order of the steps for medical colleges is perhaps different. In their case the key is to get approval from MCI, the Medical Council of India and it is not clear if the 5 medical colleges that have applied for state approval have approval from MCI.
May 12th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Expressbuzz.com.
Bangalore Medical College and Research Institution (BMCRI) will soon house the Regional Institute of Para-medical Sciences (RIPS), which is aimed at ensuring a steady supply of qualified paramedical staff in the state and across the country.
The proposed RIPS is one of the six such regional training centres proposed by the Centre to augment shortage of men in the health sector.The work on the two National Institute of Para-medical Centres at Najafgarh, Delhi and Chengalpet in Tamil Nadu is going on at brisk pace.The BMRCI already runs six courses in the paramedical discipline. “Once the RIPS starts, about 10 new courses will be introduced.
The institute will have a capacity of 1,000 students and the admission will be through the CET.In the line of IITs, IIMs and AIIMS, these institutions will become a model training institutions for paramedical education in the country.” said,Dr G T Subhash, Dean and Director, BMCRI.“
… According to an official estimated, there is 4.3 million shortage of para-medical staff world-wide with acute shortage in South-East Asian region.According to WHO report India needs to invest at least US$2 billion per annum to for the next six years. India faces a crunch of about 60-70 percent paramedical staffs, as the paramedical education system seems to be unorganised and as such there is no paramedical council and accreditation system. …
Paramedicals are persons trained to assist medical professionals in thediagnosis and treatment of patients. These includes:
â— Medical laborotory technologists, blood bank technologists.
â— Nurses, skilled birth attendants, operation theatre assistants.
â— Radiographers, radiotherapy technologists, perfusion technologists, ECG, EEG and EMG technologists.
â— Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, audiology and speech therapists, orthotists/ prosthetists.
â— Optometrists, pharmacists, clinical psychologists, pre hospital trauma technicians, dental mechanics, dialysis technologists and medical records technologists.
Besides the above, a Regional institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) is already established in Aizawl and one is being tried in Kozhikode, Kerala. Following is an excerpt about the later from a news item in oneindia.in.
Kerala Health Minister P K Sreemathy today said the government was expecting a formal approval from the Centre for the proposed Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences(RIPS) at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital within three months.
Talking to reporters here, she said the government had allotted 25 acres of land for the purpose and the expert team, which inspected the site, had expressed satisfaction.
The institute, to be set up at a cost of Rs 90 crore, would conduct 57 new courses, she said and added that the project would be implemented as part of the second anniversary of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government in the state.
Ms Sreemathy said the Health Department would start three nursing colleges in Malampuzha, Uduma and Pallurthy and the government was waiting a formal approval from the Medical Council.
Why is not Orissa pursuing one of these?
May 7th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in expressbuzz.com.
For an architect, it is always challenging to incorporate elements of local art and culture into modern day structures. But, if the words of leading health-care planner and architect with ‘Perkins+Wills’ Nick Seierup are to be believed, the interiors of the proposed Vedanta University Hospital on Puri-Konark Marine Drive would be an example of amalgamation of ethnicity and modernity keeping in mind local needs and aesthetics.
…‘‘As an institution of inter-disciplinary studies the proposed design of the six-storeyed structure will have an ultra modern look and will equip the students and researchers of the medical facility to have enough space for interactive learning through open-air or enclosed surroundings with eco-friendly atmosphere’’, he added.
April 11th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a recent (March 22, 2009) report from Economic Times.
… The proposal for setting up AIIMS-like institutions was first made in 2003 by the then BJP-led NDA government. It was, however, cleared by the CCEA on March 16, 2006, 10 months after the UPA government came to power.
It was decided that each site would be taken as a separate and independent project instead of clubbing all six together. The construction of housing and the hospital complex was also separated from that of hospital and medical college.
Speaking to TOI , Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry B K Prasad said the layout and master plans of the hospital sites at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur and Rishikesh had already been approved. The approval of the master plans for Patna and Raipur is expected on March 25. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan State Road Development Corporation construction has started construction work on the residential complex (housing and hostel) in Jodhpur. The work relating to construction of the residential complex at Rishikesh, Patna, Bhubaneswar and Raipur has been entrusted to two different agencies.
Prasad said, "Hostel construction in the other sites will start latest by June and should be completed by December 2009. Hospital construction should start by October and will take 24 months to complete. Each hospital will have 960 beds with 29 super-speciality departments."
Following is an excerpt from a report in jaibihar.com.
Taking a serious note of the inordinate delay in completion of Jai Prakash Narayan All India Institute of Medical Science (JPNAIIMS) here, the Patna High Court on Tuesday asked the union government to float fresh tender on the revised estimate and commence the actual construction of the proposed medical college and hospital complex in 90 days.
While hearing a PIL urging the court’s intervention for completion of JPNAIIMS project within a time frame, a division bench, comprising Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Sheem Ali Khan, directed the Union Government to file an action taken report (ATR) on the next date of hearing.
Complaining about the dilly-dallying attitude of the centre, M P Gupta, counsel for the petitioner, Council for Protection of Public Rights and Welfare, referred to earlier records which revealed that on May 15, 2006 the estimated expenditure was Rs 332 crore, which was hiked to Rs 533.15 crore on February 25, 2009, but till date the actual construction work had not commenced.
April 6th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a PTI report in indopia.in.
Vedanta University today announced the launch of a world class multi-speciality teaching and research hospital near Puri-Konark Marine Drive at a cost of Rs 400 crore. "The 500-bed multi-speciality hospital will commence during the first phase of the university. Orders for construction have already been placed," Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director of the project, told reporters here.
Stating that construction would begin after the elections, C V Krishnan of the Vedanta group said nearly 4,000 acres had already been acquired for the university project as against the total requirement of about 6,000 acres.
Both Krishnan and Zutshi said that the hospital would commence services in 2011 providing high-quality patient care affordable to the common man by the "not-for-profit"institution, an initiative of Anil Agarwal foundation.
Following are excerpts from a report in tathya.in.
Lauding the initiative, eminent Indian cardiologist, Dr. Kabi Prasad Mishra, said that the hospital will be a regional hub for critical specialties including cardiology and diabetology.
Dr.Mishra said that as a teaching and research centre, it will attract leading researcher and specialists in medical science from around the globe.
The University’s research agenda will prioritize public health solutions that address the most prevalent medical issues in the region.
This multi-specialty hospital will commence during the first phase of the university, said Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director of VUP.
Orders for construction have already been places with Larsen & Toubro Limited, added Mr.Zutshi.
The conceptual planning and design of the hospital has been prepared by the leading US based hospital design firm Perkins + Will.
The design was well appreciated by stalwarts of Medical Science like Professor M S Valiathan and Professor N K Ganguly.
Padma Vibhusan Dr. Valiathan presented the key note address in the national seminar “Optimum Medical Education and Ethics in clinical Practice”.
Padma Bhusan Dr.Ganguly dwelt upon issues like immunology, biotechnology and public health.
The VUP has already initiated research program on interventions needed for prevalence of anemia in infants and children of the state led by Dr.Dipika Mohanty.
Telegraph also reports on this.
April 6th, 2009
