The tribals-dominated Rayagada and Gajapati districts would soon have a medical college each under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
Stating this in the State Assembly on Friday, Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said a final decision has already been taken in this regard following negotiations recently with private parties of Hyderabad having 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,” said Nayak
Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said patients from Motu in Malkangiri district now have to travel around 800 km to the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Brahmapur, which is the nearest Government-run special health facility with required facilities.
He said the plight of patients from Umarkote and Raighar is that they have to travel 750 km while patients from Koraput have to traverse nearly 380 km to reach Brahmapur.
Bahinipati wanted to know what is wrong with the State Government and what is lacking that the Centre is reducing MBBS seats in the State’s medical colleges frequently.
MlAs Dr Raseswari Panigrahi, Rajashree Mallick, Amar Prasad Satpathy and others also took part in the debate on the issue.