Saptagiri Ulaka slams Odisha government over medical college at Rayagada

Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka on Friday lambasted the Odisha government for missing an opportunity of establishment of a government medical college at Rayagada. 
Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka
Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka

BHUBANESWAR: Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka on Friday lambasted the Odisha government for missing an opportunity of establishment of a government medical college at Rayagada. The Lok Sabha member from Koraput said Rayagada lost an opportunity to have a medical college due to step-motherly attitude of the government.

While many states got over five medical colleges under Phase-III of the Centrally sponsored scheme - Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals, Odisha got only one, he said. In response to Ulaka’s zero hour mention in the Parliament on February 13 regarding setting up of the medical college, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan recently replied that Odisha had proposed only one medical college at Kalahandi and it has been sanctioned. 

“The Ministry did not receive any proposal for Rayagada at the relevant time. Since 75 medical colleges have already been approved basing on the proposals from across the states, it would not be possible to consider the one at Rayagada under the scheme,” Dr Vardhan’s written reply read.

Ulaka had earlier met the Union Health Minister and handed him a letter urging him to approve a new medical college at Rayagada under Phase III of the scheme. “The State government had promised a medical college and 500-bed hospital at Rayagada under PPP mode in 2014.

It was one of the first medical college projects in the country that was approved by the Centre under viability grant funding support. Unfortunately, this could not take off due to the State’s negligence,” Ulaka said. He had, however, moved the Health Ministry after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its nod for establishment of 75 additional government medical colleges in underserved areas having no medical college with a preference to aspirational districts.

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