Following is an excerpt from a news report in The Statesman.
The proposed medical college and hospital at Rourkela is expected to be set up soon as a team of hi-tech group of institutions, led by its chairman Mr Tirupati Panigrahi paid a visit to the site recently. It is said that the visit was intended for site selection and discussion with the district administration about the ancillary formalities. The group is believed to set up a 300-bed medical college and hospital here.
They visited the Rourkela government hospital (RGH) campus, sector-13 and sector-9.
The team also called on collector Dr K Kumar and discussed with him various aspects of the venture.
Reliable sources said the group, in the first phase, would build the hospital and within six months, would upgrade the same as a medical college.
Thoufh the CM had laid the foundation stone earlier, yet the inordinate delay and changed political scenario had made people believe that the medical college may not see the light of day. But the visit of the team is described as a ray of hope.
The Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) will partly finance the project in the initial stages, sources said. …
Following is an excerpt from a news report in Pioneer.
Coming under a sustained pressure from the State Government, the Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd (MCL) has reportedly agreed to set up a Medical College at Talcher. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level joint meeting between the Coal India Limited (CIL) Chairman Partha S Bhattacharjee and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat on Thursday.
During the meeting, Patnaik placed a proposal before the Coal India Chairman to convert the existing 100 bedded hospital at Talcher to a 400-bedded hospital and to make it a full-fledged Medical College. Bhattacharjee promptly agreed to Patnaik’s proposal, sources said.
… Mahanadi Coalfields Limited CMD SR Upadhayay, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Bijay Kumar Patnaik and Secretary, Energy, Suresh Chandra Mohapatra were present at the meeting.
To combat sickle cell disease, a Sickle Cell Disease Research Centre has started functioning in Sardar Raja Medical College in Jaring of Kalahandi district under the leadership of project director Dr. Gyana Ranjan Padhi.
Padhi, a medicine specialist, after retiring from health Department services joined the medical college recently. He hails from Dasigaon of Kalahandi.
The proposed medical college on PPP (public private participation) mode at Rourkela continues to be an election promise. In 2004, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced about it at a pre-poll rally.
Still there is no headway in the project as the government allegedly continues with its dillydallying attitude under the plea that the proposed site is disputed.
In the face of intense public pressure, while Rourkela BJD MLA S P Nayak assured to expedite the issue, a demand has gained ground that the proposed medical college and hospital be attached to the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH).
Reliable sources said earlier the project got delayed for two years as a clause made it mandatory for the private partner to accept the proposals for Rourkela and Balangir simultaneously.
After much persuasion one GSL Trust came forward to be the partner but later made a quiet exit. The 650-bed medical college and hospital envisages to have 150 medical seats in the initial year.
The project requires a minimum capital investment of Rs 100 crore. While the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) will arrange 25 acre cost-free land and Rs 10 crore, the rest fund would be raised through private participation.
Wasting much time in locating land, the WODC finally decided to use the surplus land of RGH. But, the local displaced persons staked claims on proposed site in court. A high-power committee is now looking into the project.
A ministerial delegation from the State would meet Satya Sai Baba at his Puttaparti Ashram on November 7, sources said. They would seek the support of Satya Sai Baba for setting up a state-of-the-art medical college and hospital in the State. Sources said the delegation would urge Baba to set up a medical college in a remote part of the State. They would also try to convince Baba how his help was needed to provide good heath care to the poor.
The delegation would include Health Minister Duryodhan Majhi, Industry and Rural Development Minister BB Harichandan, Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadai, Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal and Speaker of the Orissa Assembly Maheswar Mohanty.
… The ministerial delegation would urge Satya Sai Baba to open a cancer, heart and kidney centre in the State. …
In general, the district colleges that have close to 250 beds should all be converted to medical colleges and the government should recover some of the cost by charging the students half or 1/3rd of what private medical colleges charge.
Schedule: GE (general) 1-580, SC 1-85, ST 1-110, PH (physically handicapped) 1-18, MI (military) 1-48, GC (green card- i.e. parents have less than or equal to 2 kids) 1-156
SCB (govt) Medical (GE 0, SC 0, ST 0, PH 0, MI 0, GC 0 )
MKCG (govt) Medical (GE 0, SC 0, ST 0, PH 2, MI 0, GC 0)
VSS (govt) Medical (GE 0, SC 0, ST 0, PH 3, MI 0, GC 0 )
KIMS Medical (GE 18, SC 5, ST 7, PH 0, MI 0, GC 4 )
IMS Medical (GE 36, SC 4 , ST 9, PH 0, MI 0 , GC3 )
HiTech Medical (GE 42 , SC 5, ST 7, PH 0 , MI 0 , GC 4)
SCB Dental (GE 0, SC 0, ST 0, PH 0, MI 0, GC 0 )
KIIT Dental (GE 51, SC 5, ST 8, PH 0, MI 0, GC 3)
IDS Dental (GE 49, SC 6, ST 8, PH 0, MI 0, GC 4 )
Hi-Tech Dental (GE 51, SC 5, ST 8, PH 0, MI 0 , GC 3)
Gandhi Dental (GE 26, SC 3, ST 4, PH 0, MI 0, GC 2)
Observations:
Orissa does not have enough rich families that can afford to send their kids to private medical colleges.
Thus there is a need for more government medical colleges.
Among the private medical colleges the order of preference seems to be KIMS followed by IMS followed by Hi-Tech. Its interesting that among these three Hi-Tech is the oldest and the other two only got MCI approval this year. However the other two are either part of or associated with deemed universities.
The New Indian Express reported that the Minister of State for Health is considering following proposals.
(1) The proposal to set up a Health University is under the active consideration of the State Government. All the medical colleges in the State would be brought under the university for better management."
(2) In Khordha District: The proposal to upgrade the Capital Hospital into a medical college is also under the consideration of the Government.
(3) Appointment of homeopathic and ayurvedic doctors in place of MBBS doctors in vacant posts. More posts of homeopathic and ayurvedic doctors would be created keeping public welfare in mind.
(4) State Government has issued NOCs for establishment of three medical colleges in the private sector.
(i) In Koraput District: Nabadiganta Educational Trust will set up a hospital at Sunabeda. (Note: There was a report in Sambad earlier that one medical college is being established in Koraput district)
(ii) In Kalahandi District: Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust of Tamil Nadu will establish a college at Jaring in Kalahandi district.
(iii) In Balasore District: Shri Jagannath Educational and Health Trust will establish the third college at Balasore.
(iv) In Balangir District: Balaji Educational and Charitable Trust (BECT), Pudducherry, has signed an MoU with the WODC for establishment of a medical college at Balangir. The organisation has been given 25 acres free of cost. Construction of the college will start after BECT signed the lease agreement with the collector.
NOTE: Other private medical colleges in the state that have already received approval or are on drawing boards are:
(1) In Khordha District: Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital (approval received for MBBS course from 2007-08)
(2) In Khordha District: Kalinga Institute of Medical Science (approval received for MBBS course from 2007-08)
(3) In Cuttack District: Earlier the Oriya daily "The Samaja Group (Lok Sevak Mandal)" has shown interest to establish a medical college cum hospital in Cuttack district.
(4) In Sundergarh District: A private medical college is also proposed by WODC in Rourkela.
Today’s Statesman has a report on the latest status of the WODC related private medical college in Rourkela. Following is a quote from that article:
In December 2006, the government of Orissa invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from various parties for setting up of the medical college in Rourkela and 14 organisations applied. Subsequently, a high power committee, which met on 15 January this year, shortlisted six applicants.
The shortlisted applicants are BHD Charitable Trust, VELS Institute for Advanced Studies, Chennai, Jasar Dental Medical Education Health Foundation, UP, HI-Tech Hospital Bhubaneswar, BV Charitable Trust Bhubaneswar, PET, Rourkela and Cambridge Trust of India, Ranchi.
The applicants deposited a draft of Rs 1 crore with the government to set up a medical college with 150 seats and a multi specialty hospital with 750 beds. The government of Orissa will provide 25 acres of land and Rs 10 crore to whoever get the offer.
However, it is reported, after the initial scrutiny, that there is no further progress in it. In fact, during the invitation of EoI in November, Mr Sarada Nayak, MLA of Rourkela, had said that very soon, the work would begin as all the bottlenecks have been removed. When contacted, Mr Nayak said: “The case is in the court after the displaced persons’ association moved to court for which we are unable to do anything. But, soon there will be some development in this matter.â€
For some time the Orissa government and the WODC (Western Orissa Development Council) have been trying to develop 3 private medical colleges in Rourkela, Balangir and Jarangi near Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi. [Telegraph Feb 2005,Hindu Nov 2006]
Today’s Sambada reports on some progress with respect to these.
