District hospitals now medical colleges

Having received approval from the Centre, Odisha is set to establish three new medical colleges. The district headquarter hospitals will be converted into hospitals. The three colleges will be set up at Bolangir, Balasore and Koraput.

There will be around 300 seats in the three approved medical colleges and a budget of Rs 189 crore has been estimated for each of them. The state government has already identified more than 20 acre land for each of the three colleges so as to meet the Medical Council of India (MCI) stipulations.

The state government had shown interest to participate in the centrally-sponsored scheme for setting up institutions attached with the existing district referral hospitals and will contribute 25 per cent as the state share for development of these institutions.

While the petition was filed for setting up four medical colleges, including one in Mayurbhanj district under the centrally sponsored Prime Minister Swasthya Surakhsa Yojana (PMSSY). According to the provisions of PMSSY, the district headquarters hospitals having more than 200 beds are considered for upgradation to medical colleges.

Demanding a centrally sponsored medical college in Mayurbhanj district, members of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has called for Mayurbhanj bandh on Monday.

According to Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha, currently only six medical colleges offering MBBS courses are available in Odisha.