Cuttack: The health department has initiated steps to upgrade infrastructure at Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) here after the Medical Council of India (MCI) recommended reduction of 100 MBBS seats at the premier institute.
The MCI had raised the MBBS seats at SCBMCH to 250 from 150 from the academic year 2013-14. The apex body of medical education had asked hospital authorities to upgrade infrastructure within five years to meet the requirements of additional students.
But citing poor infrastructure, the MCI recently recommended a cut of 100 MBBS seats at SCBMCH.
Health secretary Pramod Meherda Friday visited the premier health institute and held discussions with officials regarding MCI’s recommendations. Sources said Meherda enquired about a new academic block at SCBMCH which was being constructed by the work and housing department at an expenditure of Rs 140 crore.
Hospital sources said construction of the academic block was started in 2014 and work department was scheduled to hand over it to SCBMCH authorities by June this year.
“The work department chief engineer has assured the health secretary to hand over the academic block to the hospital December 13. The new structure has two hostels for senior residents and MBBS students, an auditorium with a capacity of 1,500 people, four lecture theatres and modern laboratories,” said a hospital official.
According to sources, the MCI had expressed displeasure over delay in the construction of academic block. “A committee of the MCI had visited the medical college for two days in August and expressed displeasure over 16 issues. The panel has recently sent its recommendations to the Centre and suggested scrapping the additional 100 MBBS seats,” said a doctor.
The MCI recommendations have created a lot of hue and cry in the state. Opposition parties have criticised the state government for its failure to upgrade infrastructure at the medical college. PNN