Letter to CM of Orissa on ESIC's Medical College

Dear honorable Chief Minister, Mr. Patnaik,
It is appreciable that Orissa State Government has no objection to establish proposed ESIC medical college out side Bhubaneswar as per the report published in Dharitri on June 9, 2009.

http://www.dharitri .com/090609/story13.asp

The report also states that the problem comes from the ESIC stake-holders, which is further contradictory as per the news published earlier in The New Indian Express on May 30, 2009.

http://www.expressb uzz.com/edition/ story.aspx? Title=ESIC% E2%80%99s+ medical+hanging+ fire&artid=EzrIV9% 7Cdea8=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5 ZA=&MainSectionID= fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName= nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=

In the report by The New Indian Express it is also mentioned that " .... The State Government’s reported proposal to set up the MCH at Balangir was virtually turned down by the ESIC owing to inadequate ESIC stake-holders there.

..... ..... ..... Rourkela is the ideal location since 70 per cent of the Insured Persons (IPs) of ESIC are concentrated in Sundargarh and its neighbourhood mining and industrial districts of Jharsuguda, Keonjhar and Sambalpur no other place in Orissa would best cater to the needs of the poor working class......"

I think Orissa state Government is not taking a strong stand on this issue.

Scondary health facility is very crucial for those places which are far away from Bhubaneswar and needs long hours travel such as Koraput, Sundergarh, Kalahandi and Balangir.

The private medical colleges proposed under WODC are not moving as expected since past 6 years and may not fullfill requirements of poor and tribal people.

Further more private medical college in long run becomes expensive for poor people in those localities.

At the same time many private medical colleges are also coming up in many other places of Orissa including Bhubaeswar region where AIIMS, APPOLO, LV Prasad, Vedanta in Puri etc are being established.

Therefore, there is no logic why simultaneously Government should not establish Government medical college, especially where it is absolutely necessary, when private one is being encouraged.

It would be wise to establish such ESIC medical college in Balangir and upgrade other four regional diagnestic centers, in Koraput, Sundergarh, Kalahandi and Mayurbhanj, present in tribal pockets of Orissa to Government Medical Colleges like was done for Capital Hospital earlier.

In my knowledge, geographical location can be more valuable to save life, many life are being lost every year in KBK region just becasue of this.

I hope Orissa Government will take a strong stand on this issue and not encourage regional politics inspired by few members/leaders of Persons (IPs) of ESIC based in state capital region towards the larger interest of Orissa.

Thank you and best regards