All eyes on MKCG after CM’s AIIMS-Plus push

Berhampur: A day after chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that MKCG Medical College and Hospital would be made AIIMS-Plus, Ganjam district collector Keerthi Vasan V visited the 64-year-old govt medical college and hospital on Saturday and held discussion with officials about its existing infrastructure facilities.The collector directed medical college authorities to make emergency medicine management more patient-friendly by increasing its bed strength by at least 40. Presently, the bed strength of emergency medicine, known as the casualty ward, is 44. The present strength in casualty is not sufficient as the patient load is very high. "We have asked the superintendent to increase the bed strength by 40 more," said Vasan.During his Independence Day speech, CM Majhi announced that MKCG Medical College and Hospital would be made AIIMS-Plus. Once it is done, infrastructure facilities would be increased by doubling its bed strength to 3,000, sources said. The present bed strength is 1,579.A source said daily footfall in the outpatient department (OPD) is around 3,000, while indoor patient ward sees around 300. Durga Madhab Satapathy, superintendent of MKCG said they are planning to shift the 20-bed dengue ward, which is functioning near the emergency ward, to another location to accommodate more emergency patients.Vasan also emphasised on the need to remove encroachments and parking areas inside the campus and the maintenance of hygienic conditions at the medical college and hospital. He directed engineers of the road and building department to prepare an action plan for the construction of a bypass road to facilitate public communication without entering the campus. At present, people of Bhabinipur, Lochapada and several other areas travel through the medical campus.