Former MlA Arun Dey condemned the Central Government’s decision to scrap a much- hyped AIIMS satellite centre in Baleswar.
On Saturday Union Health Minister Dr JP Nadda while attending functions in the AIIMS Bhubaneswar and launching rotavirus vaccine, had indicated that the proposed centre would be stalled because of distance, about 200 km from the mother centre in Bhubaneswar andinstead a satellite centre would be established within 10 km radiusof Bhubaneswar.
Dey, in a Press brief, stated that the decision of the Centre is unfortunate and unjust. “In the fiscal year 2013-14, the UPA regime had approved of the project, which comprised a satellite center and a 350 bedded super specialty hospital to accommodate 150 ICU beds. Accordingly the State Government provided 25 acres of land in Balia. The AIIMS, Bhubaneswar team including its Director visited the site. Rs 1.16 crore was released for construction of boundary wall around the patch of land, yet to our utter surprise, the decision is now reversed,” lamented Dey.
Meanwhile, several organizations and civil society bodies, including the action committee which spearheaded the movement for a Government medical college and hospital in Baleswar, have expressed deep concern and are preparing for agitation.
Former MlA Pradipta Panda said, “The decision is politically motivated. It is stalled when two years elapsed after its announcement by the UPA. The fund of Rs 1.16 crore for boundary construction has been released by the NDA regime and tender is finalised. Agitation would be stepped up against the decision.” A proposal given by the Baleswar MP RK Jena to begin an OPD scanning service till the satellite centre comes up was too agreed by the AIIMS Director Ashok Mahapatra during his visit to Baleswar on January 22 this year.