Bhubaneswar: The state government has sanctioned additional beds and faculty posts for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPGIP) in Odisha’s Cuttack city. This will enhance infrastructure for quality healthcare for children.

health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling today sanctioned 424 new beds for the health institute, popularly known as Shishu Bhawan, taking the total bed strength to 846. The bed strength of the premier childcare hospital has been raised to cater to growing need of children being referred from different districts of Odisha and neighbouring states, said the Health Department in a statement.

“The hospital had altogether 422 beds in its old building. The bed strength of Cuttack Shishu Bhawan has been raised following the inauguration of a new centrally air-conditioned seven-storey building of the hospital by Union Health & Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in April this year,” added the department.

In addition to this, the state government has sanctioned 59 new faculty and doctor posts in different categories for Shishu Bhawan. The new sanctioned posts included 5 posts of professor, 10 posts of associate professor, 18 posts of assistant professor, 24 posts of senior residents and two posts of medical officer-- one for the blood bank and another for the drug store at the hospital.

“This expansion is largest since the inception of Shishu Bhawan in 1960. It will help develop SVPPGIP toan advanced and premier paediatric institute in eastern India,” said the minister.