Bhubaneswar, July 5: The state government has decided to include eight private hospitals in the Odisha State Treatment Fund (OSTF) to ensure proper treatment for people under the below poverty line (BPL) category.

People enlisted in the BPL category receive funds from OSTF for treatment. At present, the government has authorised all 30 district headquarters hospitals and the three government medical colleges — SCB Medical College, Cuttack, VSS Medical College, Burla and MKCG College and Hospital, Berhampur, to provide assistance from the OSTF.

The private hospitals, which can provide treatment under the OSTF are: Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Ayush Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Shanti Memorial Hospital, Cuttack, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Niali, IMS and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar.

The government has agreed in principle that five hospitals at Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh be permitted to operate the scheme as many patients from the backward KBK region visit the neighbouring state for treatment.

In yet another measure, National Alumina Company Limited (Nalco) has agreed to the government request to set up a 100-seat medical college and 300-bed hospital in Koraput to enhance the medical infrastructure in Odisha.

Health minister Prasanna Acharya said: “The Nalco representatives have assured to set up the college in the state.” Official sources said Nalco would submit a detailed project plan to the state within seven days.

In yet another development, the NTPC has put some conditions to set up its medical college at Sundergarh. “We are examining the conditions,” said an official. Sources said the NTPC needed a suitable site for its proposed medical college at the headquarters of Sundergarh rather than any remote places.

The state government also stepped up pressure on private entrepreneurs to set up hospitals or return the land to the government, which they had taken on a lease basis. The New Delhi-based Centre for Joint Disorders has decided to set up a 150-seat medical college and 750-bed hospital in Bhubaneswar. It includes a superspeciality hospital, dental college and nursing college.

The Bangalore-based Narayana Hrudayalaya is expected to set up a 300-bed hospital in Bhubaneswar. The Basanti Charitable Trust and the Vidya Bharati Educational Trust have given a proposal to set up medical colleges at Rayagada and the Chennai-based Shankar Netralaya has also decided set up a hospital in Berhampur.

In order to create a pool of manpower in the medical sector, the state government has also decided to approach the Centre to allow Odisha to start diploma in medical laboratory technicians courses.

It has also submitted a proposal to the health ministry to consider the upgrade of SCB Medical College at Cuttack, MKCG Medical College at Berhampur and VSS Medical College at Burla- to release financial assistance upto Rs 432 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakha Yojana (PMSSY).

The state government has also demanded Rs 115 crore for SCB, Rs 156 crore for MKCG and Rs 161 crore for VSS medical college, respectively.

“Keeping in mind the increase in the number of cancer patients in the state, we have also demanded a National Cancer Institute in Bhubaneswar,” officials said. Now, Odisha has only one Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack.