The proposed Medical College and Hospital (MCH) at Sundargarh will start its’ academic session from 2022-23, Odisha Health Minister Naba Das informed the Odisha Assembly on Monday.
The State government is making all necessary arrangements for commencing the academic session from next year. Plans are afoot to set up adequate infrastructure and other facilities for rolling out the 100 MBBS seat medical college and 500-bed hospital at the proposed institute, informed Das.
The medical college which has been set up by the NTPC at a cost of over Rs 400 crore had been a long-pending project in the western Odisha town since it was first announced in 2010. The project, despite being inordinately delayed, is likely to see the light of the day next year and is expected to augment the healthcare needs of people not only in western Odisha but the adjoining regions of other states as well.
Various social organisations and intellectuals have been demanding the Centre to set up a second campus of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in line with the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar at the newly constructed medical college.
The Odisha government has also pleaded the Union Health Ministry to approve the proposal for creating a second AIIMS campus in the upcoming medical college. However, the Centre has apparently expressed its unwillingness for the same.
Speaking to media persons on Monday, the State Health Minister informed that September 26 is the last date for getting NOC for setting up a medical college. He said, "If the Centre does not give green signal for the AIIMS proposal soon enough, we will apply for the medical college and make sure students’ intake and patient admission begins from next year."
It may be mentioned here that the State Health Department has already notified the creation of as many as 271 teaching, non-teaching and various administrative posts for the Medical College and Hospital in Sundergarh.
As many as 160 teaching and 85 non-teaching posts in various disciplines, 10 posts in the office of the Dean & Principal while 16 in the office of the Superintendent have been created in the Medical College and Hospital.