Medical colleges in Gajapati, Rayagada soon, says Odisha Health minister

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, July 11:

The tribal dominated Rayagada and Gajapati districts in Odisha will soon have a medical college each under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Announcing this in the Odisha Assembly during the Question Hour today, minister for Health and Family Welfare Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said a final decision had already been taken in this regard following negotiations recently with private parties in Hyderabad with the necessary expertise and experience in running medical colleges.

“No longer will people of these districts have to travel to far off places to avail medical facilities; it will be available in their districts  within their reach”, said Nayak

Participating in the discussion, Congress chief whip and MLA from Jeypore, Taraprasad Bahinipati said patients from Motu in Malkangiri district have to travel around 800 km to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Brahmapur, which is the nearest government run health facility with all the required facilities.

He said the plight of patients from Umarkote and Raighar have to travel 750km while patients from Koraput have to traverse nearly 380 kms to reach Brahmapur.

The Congress strongman wanted to know as to what was wrong with the state government and what was lacking that the Centre is reducing MBBS seats in Odisha’s medical colleges ferquently.

MLAs Dr Raseswari Panigrahi, Rajashree Mallick, Amar Prasad Satpathy and others took part in the debate raising supplementaries on the issue.