Report by Nishapati Nayak; Koraput: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurates Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital in Koraput today, on the eve of Teachers’ Day.
While the admissions process is already completed, preparations for the start of the first academic session are in final phase.
The authorities have made all arrangements for the inauguration and are giving final touches to the infrastructure constituting fully furnished classrooms, practical rooms with modern equipment, hostels and office rooms. A total of 100 students have been admitted to the first year MBBS course in the college, classes of which will commence from today.
Talking about the struggle the authorities made to get the Medical Council of India’s nod and the Central government’s permission along with the support of State Health Minister and Chief Minister, Dean of SLN Medical College Prof Bijayini Mahapatra expressed happiness before the start of the much-awaited medical college.“It’s really very exciting to pursue an MBBS course here. I’m happy that I could fulfil my parents’ wish,” said a newly-admitted student.
”The students are really happy with the infrastructure. We are also waiting for September 4 for the start of the College. It was a necessity for the people of the region to avail a medical college, and as it is going to be functional, it seems good news for all,” said Bijayini.
Health Minister Pratap Jena, SC and ST Affairs Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, MP Jhinna Hikaka and other leaders were present on the occasion.
Earlier in the day, police had detained several Congress members, including MLAs Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Krushna Chandra Salia, Chandrasekhar Majhi and Kailash Chandra Kulesika, for waving black flags at the chief minister opposing his visit to the district.
SLNMCH is the fourth government medical college to have been set up in the state after a gap of nearly 55 years. The classes will begin from Wednesday coinciding with Teacher’s Day. As many as 22 professors and 28 assistant professors have been already been posted at the institute.
In June, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry had issued Letter of Permission to the Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, allowing admission for 100 seats in under-graduate course from 2017-18 academic session.
The Chief Minister had laid the foundation stone of the college at Koraput on August 3, 2015. It has come up over 52 acre of land adjacent to the district headquarters hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 187 crore with 75 per cent Central assistance.
Jena; said that these hospitals have been established in these two regions keeping in mind the large number of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe inhabitants, who no longer have to travel all the way to Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Burla, Cuttack and Rourkela for quality healthcare services.
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