The newly constructed building of Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital (PRMMCH) in Baripada town of Mayurbhanj district still awaits formal inauguration despite the completion of construction and installation of modern medical infrastructure.

Also Read: These Odisha medical colleges are in coma!

Delay in making the government health facility fully operational has triggered dissatisfaction among patients, their attendants, and residents of the town.

According to sources, built over nearly 50 acres of land at Rangamatia village on the outskirts of Baripada town, the ultra-modern medical facility has been developed at an estimated cost of around Rs 258 crore.

The new hospital building is equipped with advanced healthcare infrastructure, including 650 beds and 10 Intensive Care Units (ICUs), aimed at strengthening healthcare services in northern Odisha.

The centrally air-conditioned building houses multiple medical departments under one roof, including emergency services, operation theatres (OTs), pathology laboratories, diagnostic centres, medicine, gynaecology, dental care, orthopaedics, paediatrics, and several other specialty wings.

Modern stretchers, advanced medical equipment and hospital arrangements are said to be ready for use. However, a formal inauguration of the medical college is yet to be done.

Despite the availability of all major facilities, most departments in the PRMMCH are still not operational. At present, only a few wings, such as medicine and dental departments, are partially functional, while several other wings remain unopened.

As a result, only a limited number of patients are visiting the new building for treatment. Locals have alleged that critical patients are being deprived of improved healthcare services because of the delay in the inauguration and full-scale operation of the hospital.

Many residents have demanded that the government immediately open all departments for public use. The project was initially targeted for completion and inauguration in 2024, sources said.

However, delays occurred due to pending electricity connections, environmental clearances, fire safety approvals, and land category conversion issues. Though the previous (BJD-led) government had reportedly inaugurated the project in a hurried manner, several works remained incomplete at that time.

After the formation of the current government in Odisha, the remaining works and supporting arrangements were completed. The medical superintendent has assured that the Chief Minister is expected to formally inaugurate the facility soon, after which the hospital building will become fully operational for patients.

“The medical college (PRMMCH) will soon be inaugurated by the Chief Minister and become operational. It is already completed. The incomplete works, like painting, are already done. It’s completely ready, and all the equipment has also arrived. We will go there only after it’s inaugurated. I had asked the District Collector, and he said that the Chief Minister would give a date for the inauguration. Once it’s inaugurated and the ribbon is cut, we will shift to the new building,” the Medical Superintendent, Ritanjali Behera, said.