Coal India Limited’s upcoming medical college in its mining command area Talcher, is named Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. The subsidiary of CIL. Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) has invested Rs 492.62 crores in the project to set up the 500 bedded hospital and medical college with 100 seats.
The MIMSAR project is nearing completion, said Poonam Mahajan, Minister of Coal, in the Lok Sabha today.
In the absence of hospitals in many mining areas, employees working in those areas are provided medical benefits through dispensaries at a unit level, regional hospitals, as well as central hospitals of subsidiary companies. Where medical benefits for an ailment is not available in the company hospital, patient gets referred to super specialty hospitals that are in the panel of CIL, where they get free treatment.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), another subsidiary of CIL, is involved in the setup of Institute of Technology Korba, for which financial assistance of Rs 10 crores have been provided.
MIMSAR intends to come to the aid of people who are in and around Talcher coalfields, Angul, as well as nearby districts such as Boudh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Nayagarh, Subarnapur. The execution of the project was undertaken by the NBCC, wherein it was involved from concept to commissioning stages. The turnkey basis project involved designing of the facility, construction of the same, as well as furnishing and equipping it.
The existing 125 bedded hospital of MCL will be merged with Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. This project is reported to the largest single location CSR project by a PSU in the health and education sector. On one hand the size of the project beats others, and on the other, so does its impact.
Odisha government had approved a 20 acre of land free of cost for the college and hospital.
Last month it was reported that MCL had started its hint for a healthcare organization to run the Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, the state government has confirmed that it is unable at this point in time to run it.
Admission to MIMSAR Odisha shall be on the basis of NEET exam. If the college becomes functional in this session, then admissions 2020-21 shall be opened.
There will be 19 departments for MBBS seats in the college, hostel accommodation for all, students, residential complex for faculties as well as non teaching staff. Admissions shall be merit based, as per medical admission norms of the state.
In a bid to ensure under served areas in the nation get better medical facilities, and to give a push to the number of doctors, a total of 75 new medical colleges with 15,700 MBBS seats were approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs earlier this year. The government has set aside Rs 24,375 crore for establishing them in the third phase of ongoing centrally sponsored scheme.
