Odisha adds 2950 hospital beds with inauguration of five teaching hospitals

Bhubaneshwar: With the inauguration of teaching hospitals of five medical colleges in the state on Saturday, Odisha added around 3000 more beds to provide free and quality healthcare services to its citizens apart from research, teaching and learning practices of the medicos.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik virtually dedicated the five teaching hospitals to the public on Saturday. These are at Balasore, Baripada, Balangir, Keonjhar and Sundargarh. Previously, these new generation medical colleges were using district headquarters hospitals (DHHs) as their teaching hospitals.

While Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital (MCH) at Balangir, Pandit Raghunath Murmu MCH at Baripada and Fakir Mohan MCH at Balasore have 650 beds each, Govt MCH at Sundargarh and Dharanidhar MCH at Keonjhar have 500 beds each.

The chief minister said in his address that the state govt has spent more than Rs 2000 crore for the teaching hospitals. People from the respective districts and its nearby will benefit from these hospitals. “It is our aim to provide the best treatment and service to the people of Odisha,” he added.

Naveen also laid the foundation stone for transformation/redevelopment of four existing major and old hospitals of the state. These are Acharya Harihar PG Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC) Cuttack, MKCG MCH Berhampur, VIMSAR Burla and Rourkela Govt Hospital (RGH).

State govt is preparing a master plan for redevelopment of these major hospitals keeping the next 15 years in mind. This will enable the state to achieve the goal of ‘Sustha Odisha Sukhi Odisha’, said the official sources.

“More than Rs 3400 crore will be spent for the redevelopment of these four hospitals. After transformation, it will become world class healthcare institutions,” said Naveen in his speech.

Earlier, he said, Odisha had three medical colleges only. “Now we have added eight govt medical colleges and two PG institutes within six years. Three more medical colleges will be added in the coming days. We are appointing doctors and paramedic staff every year. Now 2525 MBBS doctors and 972 specialists are passing out every year against 321 MBBS and 254 specialists per year in the last,” he added.

Naveen said govt is transforming hospitals in districts under the ‘Ama Hospital’ initiative. “Both poor and rich people get free treatment in state govt run hospitals. We should take this healthcare transformation initiatives ahead,” he added.