Five More Medical Colleges in Odisha by 2025

Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to medical education in Odisha, five more medical colleges are coming up in the State within 2025.

These new medical colleges would be constituted in at Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Bhawanipatna, Jajpur and Phulbani, adds TNIE.

The confirmation regarding this came from the Additional Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) of the State, Dr Umakanta Satpathy, who further informed that these medical colleges will be made operational in phases.

In case of the new medical colleges in Keonjhar and Sundargarh, the construction of the administrative buildings are already over. However, the rest of the medical colleges are currently at different stages of construction.

In fact, the National Medical Commission, which regulates medical education in India, has already paid a visit to these medical colleges and inspected the newly built infrastructure at the medical colleges in Keonjhar and Sundargarh.

As per the latest data provided by MoS Health Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, there are a total number of 13 medical colleges in Odisha with an intake capacity of 2100 MBBS seats. Among these 9 are run by the Government with an intake capacity of 1350 MBBS seats, and 4 medical colleges are run by Private management with an intake capacity of 750 MBBS seats.

Also Read: Total MBBS pool of seats up to 89,000

In fact, Dr. Pawar had also provided details of new medical colleges that are being constituted under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for 'Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals'. In case of Odisha, in the first phase of the scheme five medical colleges have received nod in Balasore, Baripada (Mayurbhanj), Bolangir, Koraput, Puri. In the second phase, 1 medical college has been granted permission in Jajpur and in Phase III of the scheme, 1 medical college is coming up in Kalahandi.

Now, aiming at producing around 2500 MBBS doctors a year by 2030, the State has taken initiative for setting up five more medical colleges by 2025, adds the New Indian Express.

These new medical colleges will be operational in phases Keonjhar and Sundargarh medical colleges coming up in the first phase next year, Bhawanipatna and Jajpur in the second and Phulbani will become operation in the last phase.

While commenting on the matter, Dr. Umakanta Sapathy told TNIE, "The NMC inspection has been completed recently and the team is satisfied with the infrastructure. We are expecting approval for admission from the next session. The construction of other three will be completed by mid-2023.