Prasanna Acharya

Bhubaneswar, April 23: The Odisha government today decided to set up a 700-bed super-specialty hospital in Sambalpur on public-private partnership mode with an investment of Rs 170 crore. The decision brings with it hope for better healthcare facilities for people of western Odisha.

The Calcutta-based Desun Hospital & Heart Research Institute will set up the hospital. Desun Hospital and Heart Research Institute has a 300-bed super-speciality hospital in south Calcutta, supported by 28 other medical departments like gastroenterology, orthopaedics, neurology, nephrology, general medicine and general surgery.

Odisha health minister Prasanna Acharya said: “The state government will provide seven acres of land for the project and the hospital will come up within three years. The no-objection certificate for the project has already been issued to the hospital.”

The proposed super-speciality hospital will have 24 departments, 30 operation theatres, two digital cath labs, imaging cardiology and neurology facilities. “Courses such as diploma in general nursing and midwifery (GNM), paramedic training centres, postgraduate diploma in clinical cardiology and postgraduate medical diploma will be available. Around 800 people will get jobs because of this hospital,” said Acharya.

At present, the government-run VSS Medical College in Burla is the only referral facility catering to the medial needs of the people of western Odisha.