The Medical Council of India (MCI) has approved 100 MBBS seats for the Sardar Raja Medical College at Jirang near Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district bringing the total intake capacity of students in the both Government and private medical colleges in the State at the entry level to 850.
Informing the MCI’s decision, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Damodar Rout said this new medical college set up through public-private partnership (PPP) mode would undertake admission of students to the MBBS course from the current 2013-14 academic year.
The Health Department has already asked the OJEE to include the additional 100 seats in the counselling the process, which would start from July 21 to enable the students.
The Sardar Raja Medical College has been established by the Western Odisha Development Council and the Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust, Tamil Nadu. As per the MoU, 75 per cent of students from Odisha would get admission while 25 per cent seats would be allowed to be filled up by the private promoter.
With these 100 seats, the number of MBBS seats in the State has increased to 850 with 650 in Government and 200 in private medical colleges.
Dr Rout also said that another medical college and hospital would be set up in Keonjhar district in private sector and would be named after former Chief Minister late Biju Patnaik.
The foundation-stone of the proposed Biju Patnaik Memorial Medical College and Hospital would be laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on July 17 at Keonjhar. The Government would provide 20 acres of land free of cost for the college and hospital.