With more medical college and hospitals in the offing, the State Government on Friday decided to propose the Centre to approve setting up of one health university in the State to provide a uniform curriculum.
Besides, the State Government also sought the Union Government to clear the proposal to set up four Government medical colleges at Baleswar, Baripda, Koraput and Balangir, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Damodar Rout after a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Since the Union Government has decided to set up 65 medical colleges in various States, the State Government here has proposed the Union Health Ministry to sanction at least four medical college and hospitals for Odisha to cater to its growing need for better health services.
Stating that there are at least 11 proposals for setting up of medical college and hospitals in the State from the Government and private sectors, Rout said that besides the proposed four Government medical colleges, Central PSUs like Nalco, NTPC and MCl also have evinced interest to set up such institutions in the State.
At present, the State is having three Government medical college and hospitals at Cuttack, Burla and Brahmapur and five medical colleges in private sector, the Minister informed. There are 362 medical colleges in both Government and private sectors in the country with 12 institutions including the SCB Medical College and Hospital have 250 seats in MBBS each. Since Odisha lags behind in health sector and shortage of doctors has crippled the health services delivery system, the State Government urged the Medical Council of India (MCI) to sanction 100 seats each to the two other Government medical college and hospitals, he said.
At present, there are only 1,050 seats in MBBS classes in the eight medical colleges taken together in Government and private sectors in the State, Rout said and underscored the need for a health university in view of the proposed medical colleges.