ODISHA asks Centre to give Rs 1,873 cr for new medical colleges

Odisha has urged the Union health & family welfare ministry to sanction and release Rs 1,873 crore for establishment of five new medical colleges in the state. The medical colleges are proposed to be set up at Koraput, Bolangir, Puri, Balasore and Baripada.

“I met the Union health minister and urged him to sanction and release the central share of 75 per cent amounting to Rs 1,873 crore for establishment of new medical colleges at Koraput, Bolangir, Puri, Balasore and Baripada. The minister has assured to expedite the same,” Patnaik said in New Delhi.

The state government has already submitted revised detailed project reports (DPRs) along with estimates for establishment of the five new medical colleges. The new medical colleges need an investment of Rs 2,450.90 crore.

During his meeting with the Union health minister J P Nadda, the chief minister stressed on the need to upgrade the existing Regional Cancer Centre at Cuttack to State Cancer Institute.

He also sought financial assistance for the medical colleges at Cuttack, Berhampur and Sambalpur and the district hospital at Bhawanipatana. Since the detailed proposals have already been submitted for these institutes, Patnaik impressed upon the Union minister to sanction one time financial assistance of Rs 120 crore for the Regional Cancer Centre and Rs 45 crore for each of the tertiary care centres.

Patnaik further underscored the need to have a Super Speciality Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences at Cuttack modelled on the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore. The state government has identified 18.33 acres of land for this purpose at Ramdaspur under Barang tehsil in Cuttack district. Emphasising on the need for beefing up drug regulatory system, the chief minister asked for approving the establishment of a drug testing laboratory at Sambalpur at a cost of Rs 56.35 crore.

He also sought the Centre’s approval for setting up of a central cosmetic testing laboratory for which one acre of land has been identified in Khurda district. The proposed centre would facilitate testing of cosmetics manufactured in the entire eastern region.