9-July-2012
BHUBANESWAR : Odisha on Monday handed over a long wish list on healthcare facilities seeking central help to visiting Union health secretary P K Pradhan. Health minister Prasanna Acharya requested Pradhan to consider opening a centre of excellence on mental health in the state by the Central Government on the lines of National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore. NIMHANS is Central government-funded autonomous institution and is regarded as an apex centre of mental healthcare and research in the country. During a meeting with health secretary at his office in the state secretariat, the minister also asked the Union health secretary to expedite process for establishment of the proposed Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences (RIPS). The state government has already given around 25 acre land for the paramedical institute near the AIIMS. The state government sought financial assistance for infrastructure development of the three medical colleges to increase the MBBS seat strength from the current 150 to 250 each. Compared to opening new colleges, increasing seat strength of the existing colleges is a less costly affair, said a senior officer of the health department, According to Medical Council of India (MCI) norms, a medical college can have maximum 250 MBBS seats. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Pradhan said the central government is planning to increase number of MBBS seats from the present 40,000 to 70,000. It will duly consider Odisha's proposal to increase the seats, he said. The government also submitted a proposal to create super-speciality disciplines in VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla and MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur. The government has sought central assistance of Rs 150 crore each for superspeciality faculty in the two hospitals. Acharya requested the Union health secretary to upgrade the geriatric ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital into a Regional Geriatric centre. Designating a regional centre will attract better central funding, Acharya said. The health secretary reportedly assured the state government to consider the demands sympathetically. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Odisha-demands-apex-mental-health-institute/articleshow/14784055.cms -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
