In a significant move addressing a critical healthcare gap, Koraput Member of Parliament Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka has placed a strong demand in the Lok Sabha for the establishment of a government medical college and hospital in Rayagada district of Odisha.
Rising Healthcare Burden in an Industrial Hub
Raising the issue under Rule 377 on Tuesday, Ulaka highlighted the district's transformation into a major industrial and commercial centre. He pointed out that large-scale industries like Utkal Alumina, JK Paper Mills, IMFA, and Hindalco employ a vast workforce, leading to a sharp increase in population and consequent medical needs.
The MP argued that Rayagada's importance extends beyond its borders, serving as a crucial service centre for neighbouring tribal blocks and districts. Despite this strategic role and the growing health burden, the district lacks a government medical college, forcing residents to seek advanced care elsewhere.
Severe Staff Shortages and Overburdened Facilities
Ulaka expressed deep concern over the crumbling public health infrastructure in Rayagada. He informed the House that nearly 50% of sanctioned posts for doctors and specialists are currently vacant, crippling the existing system.
This severe shortage forces poor and tribal patients to undertake arduous and expensive journeys to distant locations for tertiary medical treatment. The only government medical college in the region, located in Koraput, is already overburdened and unable to meet the escalating demand for both advanced care and medical education.
"This is unfair and unacceptable for a region that contributes so much and receives so little in return," the MP stated emphatically in Parliament.
Land Available, Call for Immediate Action
Providing a viable solution, Ulaka informed that suitable government land is readily available for the project. The land previously held by the erstwhile Jeypore Sugar Company has been transferred to the government and can be immediately utilised for constructing a modern medical college and teaching hospital.
He urged the Union Government and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to take prompt action. His demands include:
- Immediate approval for the medical college project.
- Utilisation of the available land under centrally-sponsored schemes.
- Urgent filling of all existing vacancies for doctors and specialists in Rayagada as a stop-gap measure until the new institution becomes operational.
Ulaka underscored the multifaceted benefits of the project, stating that a medical college in Rayagada would not only save lives by improving access to quality healthcare for lakhs of tribal and poor families but would also create valuable medical education and employment opportunities for local youth, fostering regional development.
