Sambalpur, Feb. 27: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated the state's first sickle cell institute on the campus of Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at Burla.

'The institute will play role in providing treatment to patients suffering from this disease. According to the Odisha sickle cell project, free treatment and medicines are being given to the patients. A clinic dealing with the disease has already been functional in the hospital here. Since we were facing space problem, this unit was necessary,' said associate professor of medicine department Dr P.K. Mohanty, who is also the head of the sickle cell project here.

'Apart from providing treatment to the patients, the institute will engage in research on the diagnosis of sickle. A laboratory will also be opened here. We have a proposal to provide prenatal and neonatal sickle cell diagnosis in the institute,' said Mohanty.

Sickle cell disease is a serious health problem in west Odisha. 'At present, there are 10,000 registered sickle cell patients, who are undergoing treatment at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research,' said senior manager of the Odisha sickle cell project Bijaya Naik.

The institute has been constructed under the Odisha sickle cell project, sponsored by the National Health Mission.

The three-storey building, located near the new blood bank of the Veer Surendra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, has been built for around Rs 2.96 crore.

Apart from inaugurating the institute, Naveen also laid the foundation stones for several projects, including the second Sainik School, sports complex, building for the rural self-employment training institute, a kalyan Mandap, water treatment plant for villages, three roads and one bridge.

He also inaugurated other projects, including hospital building of the homeopathy college, main gate of the Gangadhar Meher College and the temporary building of the Open University.