Insane decision

Dear Friends:
Me being from Cuttack, probably should not be unhappy at the latest Government Of Orissa(GOO) decision. But being brought up in a culture, where equity and modesty was more valued than vulgar display of wealth, and equity and fairness were more valued than greed and selfishness, I feel uncomfortable to see inequity and unfairness. My failing, no doubt, I conclude, in this new Orissa of 21st century.

I just read in Kalinga times the following news: Orissa Government to improve healthcare infrastructure . I am aghast. The near collapse of primary health centers and rural health care in Eastern India are well known and documented. So when I read the title of the news item I got very curious and went on to read it, immediately.

And yet when I read it, I could neither believe my eyes, nor control my contempt. How can any sane Govt. start a new Medical college only at a distance of 20 km from S. C. B. Medical college and Hospital, which starved of resources and funds, to provide care? More than that neither the north Orissa districts, from Balasore to Sundergarh have any medical facility worth name, nor South Orissa beyond Berhampore has a hospital of any eminence or standard. And these are distances of 300 km upwards. Yet this Govt builds next Medical college and hospital in Bhubaneswar? And Bhubaneswar already has two private Medical colleges, located there.

With such pilots Orissa does not need any saboteurs, do we? So all the talk of KBK development is bunkum?? If not this Medical college would have gone to Jeypore, Koraput or Nowrangpur or Malkangiri, is not it?

I read with interest also in Kalinga times a good article by our friend Dr. Digambara patra on college in Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi getting recognition as a "college with potential for excellence", along with Ravenshaw College, Cuttack.

http://kalingatimes.com/views/news_20070326_A_university_in_KBK.htm


He wrote:
"University Grants Commission (UGC) had earlier declared `Colleges with Potential of Excellence' to improve quality education in selected colleges through a screening committee all over the country.

In the first phase, only three colleges of Orissa, namely, Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, G M College in Sambalpur and Government College in Bhawanipatna were selected. In the second phase selection this year, only Khallikote College of Berhampur and Fakir Mohan College of Balasore have been selected from Orissa.

If this is true why can't other half century colleges in KBK region like Bikram Dev College, Jeypore or Rajendra College, Bolangir can't be brought to that standard, which bureaucracy already knows, will qualify for central funds? Why these colleges will be starved of teachers with vacancies never filled? While plea is non availability of funds, a lot of money is wasted on a Additional Chief Secretary office in Bhubaneswar for KBK?

In fact the multi- campus university in the KBK region some of us have been pleading for, and supported by the present GOO, is making NO progress. Would not it have been a wonderful action to locate this college in KBK area?

https://lists.cs.columbia.edu/pipermail/ornet/2006-August/011566.html

Best wishes,

Sandip

Orissa Government to improve healthcare infrastructure

KalingaTimes Correspondent Bhubaneswar: Orissa Government on Saturday decided to set up a medical college at the Capital Hospital here. The decision was taken high level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Talking to presspersons after the meeting, Patnaik said the Capital Hospital had the necessary infrastructure to run a medical college. But more number of doctors and paramedical staff will be recruited before the medical college opens, he added. The meeting was held to discuss about improving the existing healthcare system in the State. The authorities decided to increase the number of seats in the Anatomy, Physiology, Anesthesiology, Microbiology, Skin and other disciplines in the three government medical colleges of the State. It was also decided to open post-graduate diploma courses in Radiology and Anesthesiology. The meeting further decided that measures will be taken to construct residential quarters for doctors and paramedical staff near the existing hospitals in the rural areas of the State. The government will increase the special incentive being paid to the doctors working in the government medicals and health centres in the KBK districts, the meetings decided. The meeting also discussed about the vacancies of doctors in interior parts of the State. Several measures will be adopted to solve this chronic problem.