Baripada, May 18: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today laid the foundation stone for a government medical college and hospital at Rangamatia, 6km from the district headquarters hospital.

The college has been named after renowned tribal scholar Pandit Raghunath Murmu, who developed the Alchiki scriptures for the Santhal language.

Laying the foundation stone, Naveen said the state government was taking measures to improve the health care service and address the shortage of doctors. "Five medical colleges and hospitals with an overall investment of Rs 1,000 crore will come up in the state. These will meet the shortage of doctors."

The chief minister said the government had increased the incentive for doctors to encourage them to work at government hospitals in the hostile and remote areas.

The government has placed hospitals and primary health care centres into various categories and introduced a scheme to provide extra incentives to the doctors, depending on the remoteness of the area.

Health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said: "Around Rs 202 crore will be spent on the establishment of the new medical colleges and hospitals. The existing facilities at the district headquarters hospital will be also upgraded."

Nayak said a medical college would be set up over 22 acres at Rangamatia. The construction is to be over within two years.

Kishor Das, who had led a movement in 1978 for the construction of a medical college as the president of Maharaja Purna Chandra, Baripada, said: "The dream was realised today after 37 years."

Besides this project, Naveen also inaugurated a skill development centre at Murgabadi and laid the foundation stone for a project to upgrade Baripada Stadium.