The State Government has appointed a Superintendent and a Principal for the Baleswar Government Medical College and Hospital, which is scheduled to function from the education session 2018.
These appointments have put to rest the speculations and uncertainties which were doing rounds due to the delay in starting the college.
According to sources, Prof Pratap Rath, currently in the neurology department of the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, and Prof Sashikanta Mohapatra of the medicine department of the VSS Medical College, Burla, have been appointed, respectively, as Principal and Superintendent of the Baleswar college.
This announcements followed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s assurance to begin the college from next academic session at a meeting held here on June 13 to review the progress of the infrastructure works of the college with Higher Education Minister Ananta Das, MP RK Jena and local MlAs.
District Collector Pamod Das, besides stating that he has received a communication about the appointment of Superintendent and Principal of the college, also said the construction works are almost in a final stage.
“The building is on the verge of completion. In the meantime, the existing District Headquarters Hospital’s facilities are being upgraded to cater the need of medical college education. An MCI team will be invited, and most likely its inspection would be made between September and November. Following the team’s visit, approval of the number of seats of the college would be decided. Meanwhile, the required staffs would be recruited,” said Das.
The Action Committee, which spearheaded the agitation for establishment of the college for years and other civil society bodies expressed their pleasure over the appointments.
“We were hopeful that the college would start from the current academic session, but it was being delayed and pushed to uncertainty. These appointments show that the college would be operative by next year. We feel the agitations have paid,” said a member of the Action Committee.
