Nine more medical colleges in Odisha

Odisha government is taking steps to set up nine more medical colleges in different parts of the state and to increase the number of seats in MBBS course from 150 to 250 in government-run medical colleges at Berhampur and Burla from next academic year.

Presently there are three government and five privately-managed medical colleges in the state. Government medical colleges are running at Berhampur, Burla and Cuttack.

We are now taking steps to set up nine more medical colleges with 100 seats each in different parts of the state, state health Secretary P K Mohapatra said. While four district headquarters hospitals - Balangir, Balasore, Koraput and Mayurbhanj would be elevated to medical colleges, tender would be floated soon to invite the promoters to set up medical colleges in Gajapati and Rayagada districts in public-private partnership mode, he said.

The government has already signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for establishing a medical college at Sundargarh, while an MoU would be signed soon with Mahanadi Coal Ltd (MCL) and private promoter for setting up medical colleges at Talcher and Chandipur in Nayagarh district, he stated.

The government would provide 25 acres of land and viable funds to the selected promoters for establishment of medical college in Gajapati and Rayagada districts, he said. But the promoters must have experience in the field of medical education.

Besides these, he said MBBS seats in MKCG Medical College, Berhampur and VSS Medical College, Burla would be increased from 150 to 250 from next year. MBBS seat in SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack was increased to 250 last year.

A team from Medical Council of India (MCI) is likely to visit the state in June to inspect the infrastructure facilities in these medical colleges, he said adding steps have been taken to improve the infrastructure facilities in both the colleges.

PTI