Rourkela, June 15: Putting speculations to rest, a seven-member team of Union health and family welfare ministry Thursday visited Ispat General Hospital (IGH) here to study its infrastructure in the backdrop of a plan to accord it a status of medical college and super specialty hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an announcement about three years ago to accord the status to the IGH.
Dr Sukhdev Nayak of Bhubaneswar AIIMS and specialists of various departments of the hospital were part of the team that was headed by Badrinth Athani of Union health ministry. The delegation checked the status of the hospital from IGH director AK Singh and other senior physicians at the conference hall.
Later, the team visited the general outpatient department (OPD), OPDs of paediatric, eye and surgery, new OPD block, dispensary unit, burn centre and ICU and take stock of the shortcomings in the hospital.
Athani, speaking to the media, said IGH meets all the criteria laid down by Medical Council of India (MCI) to become a super specialty hospital and medical college. Though there are a few bottlenecks, this can be sorted out. The team would soon submit its report before the Centre, Athani added.
Bowing to the long-standing demand of locals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the city in April 2014, had announced to make IGH a medical college and super specialty hospital.
Meanwhile, several organisations including the local BJP MLA lashed at the Centre for the inordinate delay implementing the project. The MLA even went on to boycott various party programmes because of the alleged negligence of the Centre. The opposition party also criticised Union ministers from the state over the issue.
The Central team finally checked the infrastructure of IGH which would pave the way for the hospital to become a medical college and super-specialty hospital, sources said.
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