After the Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey’s displeasure over the incompletion of Sri Jaganath Medical College and Hospital in Puri even after funds allocation from the Centre, the district administration and the State Health and Family Welfare Department were found in a hurried situation.
While joining as guest in the inauguration of Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Baleswar on Sunday, the Union Minister was surprised over the delays of the Puri medical college despite Rs 105 crore allocations already.
Taking a jibe at the State, he told he would seek a report shortly on the cause of the inordinate delay.
Although the State Government had set August 2018 as second deadline after a first deadline of March 2017 for completion of campus, but works are still underway. Not only is the academic incomplete, but also the work for the hospital section was yet to start.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone on July 4, 2015 for a 100-beded medical college and hospital as Nabakalebar bonanza offer to the Puri people. In the meeting, the CM had announced the medical college’s completion by March 2017 given the infrastructure needed. In the Centre-State joint venture medical college hospital project in Puri, the Centre will bear 75 per cent of the project cost.
Sources said primarily, the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) of Puri will work as the hospital section of the medical college after being upgraded. Later, with completion of infrastructure, the hospital section will move to the college campus which is under construction on a 25 acre land of the Jaganath Temple at the city outskirts.
However, following a snail’s space in construction works, apart from upgradation of the DHH, it looks the medical college might not commence in the 2018-19 year. A permission of the Medical Council of India (MCI) is also needed before the admission of students is taken in the college.
Meanwhile, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Bhaskar Samantray said, “The construction of academic building is at final stage and will take some time for completion. Initiatives are on in the DHH too.”