Centre sanctions Rs 200 crore for upgrading IGH hospital Rourkela

Following is a report from TNIE:

ROURKELA: Work on the upgradation of the RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH) of SAIL into Super Speciality Hospital & Medical College (SSHMC) has finally started with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) monitoring the project.

An amount of Rs 200 crore has been recently allocated under PM’s Swasthya Suraksha Yojana for infrastructure development of the hospital.

IGH, a well-equipped 685 bedded multidisciplinary hospital, is accredited by National Board of Examinations (NBE), New Delhi, for imparting Post Graduate DNB training in several disciplines and also runs a Nurses Training Institute (NTI). However, it has now been reduced to a referral hospital due to deteriorating medical services.

Rourkela BJP legislator and former Union Minister Dilip Ray said a high-level team of experts and architects had visited the hospital and submitted their report to SAIL and the Ministry of Steel outlining the requirement of infrastructure and medical equipment.

AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has been assigned the responsibility of introducing super-specialty services and developing the curriculum for the post graduate courses, Ray added.

Earlier this month, a team of consultant firm HITES (HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd) had inspected existing infrastructure of few departments of IGH. The team examined possibility of introducing super special treatment facilities along with post-graduate learning at departments of neurology, pulmonary medicines and burn care. The visit of HITES team came in the backdrop of the visit of a team of senior medical experts of the Union Government in June following direction of the PMO.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who is instrumental in expediting the pending project, said Principal Secretary to the PMO is monitoring it and expressed satisfaction at the present pace of progress. He said after being developed into SSHMC, the IGH would ensure advanced healthcare to people of Rourkela, Sundargarh district and beyond. SAIL and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) would run the medical college jointly.

The PM had announced the project in April 2015. Under fire for no progress, SAIL in August last year had opened a super speciality clinic in disciplines of cardiology, oncology, neurology and nephrology to run on monthly scheduled dates with assistance of Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad.

HOSPITAL AID

● Super speciality treatment services would be introduced in four departments and later three more departments would be covered.
● SAIL and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) would run the medical college jointly.

● Former Congress MLA Pravat Mohapatra welcomed the development, but added that there is no cheer for poor patients as treatment is free for RSP employees while the others are charged at par with private hospitals.

Central team visits Ispat General Hospital

By Express News Service  |   Published: 16th June 2017 05:41 AM  |

ROURKELA: With the proposal for upgrading Ispat General Hospital (IGH) into a Super Speciality Hospital and Medical College (SSHMC) hanging fire, a Central team on Thursday reviewed the infrastructure and facilities in IGH before submission of feasibility report.

The team, led by Special Director General of Health Services Dr BD Athani, met senior staff of the hospital.

There has been inordinate delay regarding upgradation even though the project is being monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The Central team’s visit came on the direction of the PMO. The team included six other senior doctors from Union Ministry of Health, All India Institute of Medical Science and RML Hospital, but none from PMO.

Athani told mediapersons that they reviewed the infrastructure and facilities of IGH and would submit a feasibility report.  Before becoming Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had in April 2014 promised the project and on becoming PM, he officially announced it in April 2015.

To take up the issue, Union Tribal Affairs Minister and Sundargarh Lok Sabha Member Jual Oram and Rourkela BJP legislator Dilip Ray on several occasions had met the PM, former and incumbent Union Steel Ministers and SAIL Chairman, but to little avail.

After several meetings it was decided that the Steel and Labour Ministries would jointly implement the project. An angry Ray had also boycotted the visit of then Union Steel Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in June 2016. Recently, Ray in an outburst against Modi Government had said he was feeling ashamed to meet people of his constituency.

BJP’s arch rivals BJD and Congress continue to accuse Modi of cheating people of Rourkela. If sources are to be believed, the hope to kick-start the super speciality hospital part shortly is stuck in technical complexities.

Expedite upgradation of IGH to super speciality hospital and medical college: PM Modi to minister Dattatreya

Following is a report from TNIE:

ROURKELA:Rourkela BJP legislator and former Union minister Dilip Ray on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi  and apprised him about the inordinate delay gripping two mega infrastructure projects of Rourkela despite the PM’s announcement on the projects in April 2015.

Modi asked Union Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya to expedite the upgradation of RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH) of SAIL into Super Speciality Hospital and Medical College, Ray said.
In a subsequent arrangement, SAIL has decided to implement the IGH project in collaboration with ESI Corporation, he added.  Ray further said the PM also asked Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to expedite setting up of the second Brahmani bridge at Rourkela as part of NH 143 expansion project.

From the Sambad:

Ispat general hospital Rourkela to have a medical college

Following picture is taken from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/33408853:

Following report is from the Sambad:

This blog on IGH contain a lot of pictures and not much information about the hospital: http://ighrkl.blogspot.in/ . But gives an impression about the happenings at  Ispat general hospital Rourkela.

NTPC may set up a medical college and hospital in Sundergarh district

Following are some reports from expressbuzz and DNA:

http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/special-cell-to-fasten-land-acquisition-for-ntpc/327084.html

BHUBANESWAR: The Government on Tuesday decided to set up a special cell to expedite the land acquisition process for the two mega power projects of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

The issue of land acquisition was taken up by the NTPC mandarins at a high-level meeting presided by Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik here.  TheCentral PSUis setting up two mega power projects of 3200 MW each at Darlipali in Sundargarh district and Gajamara in Dhenkanal district. The State Government will get 50 per cent of the power generated at the two thermal projects.

While the Darlipali plant requires over 2,700 acres of land, it is about 2,900 acres for the Gajamara plant. However, NTPC is facing problems with regard to private lands. The families likely to be displaced by the project are demanding Rs 40 lakh per acre.

NTPC Executive Director (Eastern Region)  JD Nanda requested the Chief Secretary for a special land acquisition cell with a senior revenue officer in-charge to expedite the process.  The Chief Secretary directed Revenue Secretary RK Sharma to do the needful.

NTPC had already received bids for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and the techno-commercial bids are under evaluation. The evaluation process will be completed by the end of November, official sources said.

LANDFORHOSPITAL: The proposed medical college and hospital (MCH) by NTPC at the district headquarters hospital in Sundargarh is facing similar problem.  While the hospital has earmarked 11 acres within its campus for the MCH, the district administration is required to arrange another 14 acres in the vicinity which is yet to be done.

NTPC has also agreed to the State Government proposal for upgradation of the district headquarters hospital with an intensive care unit (ICU). A power management institute of international standards at Dhenkanal is also in the offing.

The Chief Secretary requested the NTPC executives to take expeditious steps for the expansion of the 420 MW Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) which is fully dedicated to the State. NTPC has agreed to set up two super critical power units of 660 MW each.  TTPS has the infrastructure  facilities for the proposed expansion.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_orissa-asks-ntpc-to-take-people-s-consent-before-acquiring-land_1603725

The Orissa government today asked central public sector NTPC to acquire land after receiving the consent of owners for its two proposed ultra mega power projects.

“The NTPC has been told to acquire land after taking the consent of the local people and spend five per cent of its profits towards peripheral development,” Chief Secretary BK Patnaik said.

Patnaik presided over a review of NTPC’s progress on two proposed two projects at Darlipali in Sundergarh district and Gajamara in Dhenkanal district.

He asked the district collectors of Sundergarh and Dhenkanal to assist the NTPC which would require about 2900 acre and 2700 acre respectively for establishment of 3200 MW power plants each.

Though the CPSU was ready to start work on the projects, it was facing opposition from the local people who demanded 40 lakh per acre of private land, an NTPC executive pointed out at the meeting seeking the intervention of the state administration.

The state government was to get 50 per cent of power from the NTPC’s two UMPPs.

The state government has also asked the CPSU to begin expansion work on its Talcher Thermal Power Station without delay as it has the land and other requirements.

NTPC proposed to set up two additional units of 660 MW capacity each at its Talcher Thermal Power Station.

This apart, the NTPC was also asked to fund the water resources department’s proposed barrage and watershed project in Sundergarh district.

The NTPC has committed to set up a medical college hospital in Sundergarh district and upgrade the existing district headquarters hospital to 100 beds with ICU.

Orissa govt. to connect the district headquarters hospitals with premier government medical colleges through telemedicine network

Following report is from the Telegraph:

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 7: All district headquarters hospitals will be connected with the three premier government-run medical colleges in the state through telemedicine network.

“The work has already begun and the network will be functional by December,” said chief nodal officer of the Orissa telemedicine network B.N. Mohanty, who is also head of the department of experimental surgery of SCB Medical College, Cuttack.

Telemedicine is an emerging field that combines advances in computer and communication technologies with the practice of clinical medicine.

Through this medium, diagnosis and treatment of diseases can be conducted with the patients and doctors sitting at two ends.

District hospitals of Jajpur, Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar will be connected to the SCB Medical College. District hospitals of Cuttack, Rayagada, Koraput, Bhawanipatna, Sundergarh, Baripada and Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar have already been connected to SCB.

The SCB Medical College has, in turn, been connected to the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Science (SGPGIMS), Lucknow.

Nayagarh, Gajapti, Boudha, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur will be connected to MKCG Medical Collage and Hospital at Berhampur.

 Burla-based VSS Medical College will be connected to hospitals in Rourkela, Balangir, Angul, Jharsuguda, Baragarh and Deogarh. 

Talking to reporters here today, Mohanty said a state-level telemedicine resources centre would come up soon at Cuttack.

With the help of the state government, the SCB Medical College is going to organise the three-day 6th International Conference of Telemedicine Society of India (TSI) from November 14. Distance education in health science is the theme of the conference.

Representatives from ISRO, Space Application Centre, ministry of health, department of IT, Union government, AIIMS¸ IIT, Kharagpur, C-DAC-Pune, SGPGIMS, Lucknow and Central Law University, Cuttack would attend the conference. 

“Around 2,567 critical patients had already been cured through telemedicine. Patients, suffering mainly from thyroid cancers, arthritis and rheumatism, are opting for telemedicine consultation. With these facilities, we have been able to be in touch with the SGPIMS, Lucknow,” Mohanty said. 

The state government has also asked all additional district medical officers of all district headquarter hospitals to attend the meeting.

“We have invited students of medical and engineering colleges of the state to attend the meeting. They’ll get an opportunity to listen to nationally and internationally reputed telemedicine experts,” said Mohanty.

HIV/AIDS spreading fast in western Odisha: The Pioneer

Following report is from The Pioneer:

Ask anybody about western Odisha, and the answer would be of a backward area where concentration of poverty, mass migration and malnutrition is high, even though it has a high concentration of mineral and mining is common. Unfortunately, western Odisha is also lags in healthcare facilities.

Recent reports of HIV/AIDS spreading its tentacles here with as many as 184 persons succumbing to AIDS in 12 backward districts of the State have made the situation grim. There are around 2,400 HIV positive people in this region, even as the United Nations has declared combating HIV/AIDS as one of its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and universal access to health services as one of the basic human rights.

According to a report of Odisha State AIDS Control Society, there are a total of 17,708 people living with HIV in Odisha out of which 11,052 are men and 6,656 are women. Out of 1,407 AIDS patients, 1,109 have succumbed to the dreaded disease, says the report.

In 12 districts of Odisha – Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nawarangpur, Rayagada, Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh and Kandhamal – a total of 184 persons have died and 2,395 people are HIV positive.

In Jharsuguda district, a total of 114 cases have been detected so far while four have died from AIDS. In Sambalpur district, there are 673 HIV positive cases and out of 39 AIDS patients reported, 33 have succumbed to the disease. In Bargarh district, 180 HIV positive cases have been detected and six have died from AIDS. In Nuapada district, 150 persons have are HIV positive and 19 people have died from AIDS. In Kalahandi district, 264 people have been detected as HIV positive and three have succumbed to the decease. In Rayagada district, 431 have been identified as HIV positive and 51 have died from AIDS. In Nawarangpur district, 409 have been identified as HIV positive and 15 have died from AIDS. In Boudh district, 326 persons have been identified as HIV positive. In Kandhamal district, 32 have been identified as HIV positive and 15 have died from AIDS. In Sonepur district, 17 persons have been identified as HIV positive.

Balangir, which is known for its acute poverty and mass migration, has now 465 HIV positive cases and 39 have died so far. However, official figures state that 327 people have been identified as HIV positive.

Counselors have been appointed in all the 14 blocks of the district but there are only five technicians.

It is futile to expect a person of Tureikela or Muribahal to come to Titlagarh for blood test. The appointment of laboratory technicians is done by the Odisha State AIDS Control Society. We have nothing to say, says an official here. We are trying to manage by imparting training to our technicians on HIV testing and posting them in migrant-prone blocks of the districts, said CDMO Dr PC Sahu.

The second ART centre in western Odisha was opened in Balangir after Burla in May this year. But it has not opened in a full-fledged manner as there is no permanent staff and only one medical officer and a pharmacist has been posted.

According to reports, the ART centre at Burla is not functioning effectively. We have to inform officials of the ART centre about the patients. Patients who come here are allegedly harassed by the officials. The drug adherence centre at Burla does not function and patients face a lot of inconvenience. There is a network of HIV positive people in Balangir which is called the Balangir Network of Positive People but they are not able to do anything.

Even as 327 people have been detected HIV positive, this is just the tip of the iceberg given the mass migration. The number of infected people can go up to one per cent of the total population or 1,500 people of the district.

Ignorance among people, lackadaisical attitude among personnel involved in combating HIV/AIDS and absence of laboratory technicians fail to give the real picture. After the ICTC centre started in Titlagarh, the number of HIV positive cases went up rapidly. If the ICTC centres function with full-time laboratory technicians, the number is expected rise.

There is every possibility of the number of HIV positive cases going up to 1,500 in Balangir district alone and other migrant-prone backward districts like Nuapada, Kalahandi and Rayagada are equally vulnerable, points out an NGO activist.

The integrated counseling and testing facility (ICTC) has been provided only in districts belonging to A and B category in HIV prevalence while the C category districts are being overlooked. It must be noted that the prevalence of HIV is high in regions where there is acute poverty and migration, argues an official here.

Ironically, even after six years of elapse of the OSCAS, its website does not provide any data or information about the prevalence of the disease.

According to reports, major modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS are unsafe sex followed by blood transfusion and it affects mostly the youth in the age group of 14 to 35 years.

Migration has been one of the major factors in western Odisha for the spread of HIV among the rural people. The spouses of migrant labourers of western Odisha are vulnerable to the disease but neither they can challenge and defy the patriarchal system nor can get rid of the infection without preventive measures.

The health rights of the rural poor need to be addressed through inclusive approach. The HIV testing facility is still not available in all CHCs. The absence of laboratory technicians in ICTCs makes the entire system non-functional, said Sashikant Mallick of ActionAid.

Changing lifestyle, poverty, mass migration and lack of access of universal treatment of HIV people have worsened the situation, besides the stigma and discrimination attached with the disease.

While the big bosses implementing the projects are getting huge salary and luxury, bottom level workers are fed up with heavy work entrusted by their officers, rued an NGO activist.

Worse, even as the United Nations has put combating HIV/AIDS as one of the millennium development goals (MDG), and India is a signatory to it, it has not even started and even worse, it is spreading and absence of testing facilities and personnel has been causing much inconvenience.

State Govt wants SAIL to set up medical college at Rourkela; Ignores citizens demand for a ESIC medical college

Following is a report from The Pioneer:

It seems finally Chief Secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra has come to the rescue of thousands of citizens demand for a medical college at Rourkela. He has taken up the issue with the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Steel.

Residents of the steel town have been demanding an ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance Corporation) Medical College for more than two years. However, the ESIC has decided to set up its medical college in Bhubaneswar as the State Government offered land on the outskirts of the capital city.

The people of Rourkela in general and intelligentsia in particular took up the issue at various forums. Political personalities cutting across party lines also demanded an ESIC medical college at Rourkela. But the demand was overlooked and, as usual, the e-mail petitions in this regard were coolly ignored.

While the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has proposed to upgrade the Bokaro Steel Plants’ hospital to a medical college, a similar move is needed for Odisha, feels Chief Secretary Mishra. He discussed the matter with the Union Secretary of Steel in order to set up a medical college at Rourkela under the aegis of the Ispat General Hospital (IGH).