lack of interest by the State Government and little concern on part of the district administration has slowed down the progress of setting up a Government medical college in Keonjhar district.
Even after several agitations and persistent demand by the local people, the Government failed in establishing a much-needed medical college in the district. Fortunately, the Sahayog Health Care & Research Foundation came forward to set up a private medical college at Keonjhar town, for which the Foundation had signed an MoU with the State Government on November 26, 2010.
The Government had agreed to provide 20 acres of land and `10 crore for the purpose. After two and a half long years since the signing of the MoU, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik finally found time to lay the foundation of the proposed hospital at Brahmanigaon in Keonjhar municipality on July 17, 2013.
The hospital, to be set up in public-private partnership (PPP) mode with an investment of `210 crore, requires 50 acres of land. The 20 acres of Government land was leased out to the foundation only on November 6, 2013 and the remaining 30 acres is yet to be obtained.
Although Sahayog had targeted to complete the project by 2014 as per its detailed project report (DPR) submitted to the Government, the delay in land lease has hampered the progress. Hence, operation of the proposed 100-seat medical college by 2015 may also be delayed. The hospital authorities have started the construction of the infrastructure soon after the lease of 20 acres of land was granted to them.
With little or lack of adequate health services in the district, the progress of the proposed 650-bed Biju Patnaik Memorial Hospital, funded by the Sahayog Foundation and expected to be completed in five years, will decelerate unless the Government extends its full support to the project.