Naveen Patnaik announces Rs 1000 crore investment to transform Odisha Medical College to 'AIIMS Plus' institute

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced to invest more than Rs 1000 crore to develop the Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital to an institute of international standard that would surpass AIIMs. The state government has been working to further improve the tertiary health care infrastructure for providing quality services to the people at affordable cost.

Announcing a slew of measures for the premier health care institution, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the medical college and hospital (MCH) will have an integrated health system with a total bed strength of 3,000."Our aim is to develop the MCH to an integrated hospital with all modern healthcare facilities and take it to such a height that is would be considered as one of the top institutes in the field of medical services," the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister held discussions on the development and patients welfare with heads of departments, students and administrative authorities of the SCB Medical College and Hospital here today following an early morning visit of senior government officers including 5T Secretary V K Pandian. "I have a dream that each of the people of the state gets quality health services at an affordable price. Healthcare is an important area in which the State Government is investing more," he told the delegation

.Emphasising on better housing, hostel and recreational facilities in the college campus for doctors and students, the Chief Minister said the objective is to transform the MCH to AIIMs Plus institute. Noting that SCB Medical College and Hospital now ranks 14th among the top medical institutes of the country, the Chief Minister said, "Our efforts should be to position it among the top three institutes."The primary focus of integrated health systems is to provide seamless care or coordinated care for patients and their families. The organization and management of health services are so that people get the care they need, when they need it, in ways that are user-friendly, achieve the desired results and provide value for money, said a senior officer of the Health Department.