Demand grows for ESIC medical college in Rourkela

The Pioneer, Sept 11, 2009
Aurobinda Das | Rourkela

More and more academicians, civil society organisations, trade unions, journalists and members of student communities have joined hands to set up the proposed Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College in Rourkela.

It may be mentioned here that about half-a-year ago it was heard that the Central Government had a proposal to set up the ESIC Medical College in Orissa by investing Rs 500 crore. It was also declared that the proposed college would be set up in Rourkela as the location is convenient in all ways. But now it is being heard that it would be established in Bhubaneswar and Naveen Patnaik’s Government is taking all initiatives in this direction. When this information spread, demand from different corners to relocate the venue to its original place in Rourkela is being witnessed everywhere.

It is learnt from sources that people from different walks of life have been sending e-mails to the Orissa Chief Minister requesting him to consider the relocation of the proposed ESIC Medical College. In the latest development, many Non-Resident Oriyas (NROs) are not only writing e-mails to the CM but also they are in regular touch with various civil society organisations of Rourkela to strengthen the drive into a people’s movement.

Many retired and working professors of NIT and other leading educational institutions of Rourkela like Prof Somanath Mishra, Prof SK Patel, Prof KC Patra, Prof DM Praharaj, Prof P Panda, Prof P Mallick and many others have come out openly to write letters to the CM along with pursuing others to join the movement. Even they have urged the people’s representatives of the district to take up the matter with the CM. Similarly, many civil society organisations like Disha, Envicare, Visstar, Ores, Cause, Sahayata, Basti Unnayan Samiti and many other groups have joined this drive.

Unlike others, many journalists like Pratap Padhee, Subrat Choudhury, Aurobinda Das, Sanjib Nayak, Mahendra Mishra, AP Biswal, KP Mohapatra and writers and columnists like Narayan Prasad Dash, Bhupen Mohapatra, Debendra Mohanty, KC Badjena, Bishnupriya Mohapatra and Arta Trana Mohapatra have also joined the drive. Similarly, many trade unions like RMS, SETU, RSS, SEAR, KISS, ILU, RWU, SMS and students’ organisations like SFI, AISF, ABVP, DSO and NSUI have also started campaign on their respective level. Even many student leaders have started signature campaign in their respective campuses.

The intelligentsia of Rourkela feels that the steel city is the most ideal and deserving place for ESIC Medical College from geographical and industrial point of view. Rourkela is not only an industrial hub but also it is a border area which is still neglected in health services. Apart from this, Rourkela in particular and Sundargarh in general have ample contribution to ESIC than other districts of Orissa, feel the intellectuals of the city. Though Rourkela is almost like a metro city, it is grossly neglected in health services. Bhubaneswar is already having three medical colleges, an extension unit of AIIMS and one Apollo hospital while a Railway medical college is going to be set up soon.

Apart from this, the most prestigious Government Medical College namely SCB Medical College and Hospital is just 25 km from Bhubaneswar, they pointed out. So the Chief Minister should rethink on the issue so that the denizens of Rourkela would not remain deprived of better health services any more, they urged.

All the MLAs, MPs and political leaders irrespective of their party have also been urged to take up the matter at their level and urge the CM to consider the genuineness of the demand. Last but not the least, it is learnt that many frontline members of the Orissa Society of Americas (OSA), Odisha Development Team, Odia Samaj and many well wishers of Orissa residing in US like Dr Digambar Patra, B Jena, Prasant Sahoo and many more have not only written e-mails to the CM but also they have sent a memorandum through fax justifying the demand. They are also keeping stern vigil on the development of the matter.

With the movement gaining momentum day by day, the denizens of Rourkela are optimistic that the Chief Minister would keep their genuine request.