Cooch Behar, Aug. 25: The National Biochemic Medical College and Hospital, the first of its kind in the country, will finally get its own building so that it can offer more courses with all facilities.
The secretary of the college managing committee, Sorosh Chanda, said the institution had been opened near Cooch Behar in 1986 and was affiliated to the Central Council of Biochemic Medicine.
“The college began functioning from a rented house at Ghughumari and currently only diploma courses are available. We have been pressing for the introduction of bachelor degrees. We had recently acquired 2.5 acres of land at Ghughumari, where Cooch Behar MLA Akshay Thakur laid the foundation stone for the college building on Saturday. A full-fledged college and hospital can be run from the new building,” said Chanda.
Ghughumari is 7km from here.
The principal of the college, Chandan Bhattacharya, said there were 40 biochemic medical colleges in the country and the first one was established in Cooch Behar.
“At present, we are operating out of a rented house and are offering a three-and-a-half-year diploma course. Once the new building is completed, we will introduce bachelor degrees and open research wings. Besides, a garden for medicinal plants will also be developed,” said Bhattacharya.
The principal said an estimate for the building was being drawn up and the exact budget would be worked out soon. “We have approached Cooch Behar MP and MLA and will submit the plans to them for their consideration. We also have our own funds and are certain that there will be no hurdles to the construction of the building,” said the principal.
He said biochemical medicine was a new and growing modern science and it could cure many diseases without any side effects.
Cooch Behar MLA Akshay Thakur said he welcomed the efforts taken by the college authority. “I will see to it that there is no dearth of funds for the construction of the college building. I will also contribute from the LAD (local area development) funds,” said Thakur.
The MP, Nripen Roy, said the college would help the district a lot and would also boost the economy of the region. Roy, too, promised help from his local area development funds.
