E-Paper
CM’s name missing in Katihar hospital project, row erupts
PURNIA In a shot in the arm for Seemanchal region, Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad and health minister Mangal Pandey on Sunday inaugurated DNB (Diplomate of National Board) courses in the newly established government medical college in Purnia and laid foundation stone for the 200-bed hospital in the Katihar district hospital campus
PURNIA
In a shot in the arm for Seemanchal region, Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad and health minister Mangal Pandey on Sunday inaugurated DNB (Diplomate of National Board) courses in the newly established government medical college in Purnia and laid foundation stone for the 200-bed hospital in the Katihar district hospital campus.
In Katihar, however, a controversy erupted when local JD(U) leaders registered their protest over the omission of chief minister Nitish Kumar on the foundation stone, which mentioned only deputy CM and the health minister.
Prasad was quick to clarify. “It was just an inadvertent mistake. Everybody knows Bihar is marching ahead on the path of progress and prosperity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar.” He said the mistake would be rectified at the earliest.
Meanwhile, while the DNB courses have been started at the government medical college at Purnia in obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and general medicine. Twelve seats have been allotted to each course.
DNB course is a three-year postgraduate residency programme and is among the simplest post graduate or post-doctoral equivalent programmes.
The launch of DNB courses is believed to be the beginning of the
500-bed with 100 students admission in MBBS courses every year.
The government medical college in Purnia has not been yet inaugurated. Once ready, it will have 500-bed hospital and initial sanctioned intake of 100 students for MBBS course every year. The medical college, which is almost ready, has five ICUs, modern diagnostic centres with an ultra modern operation theatre.
The foundation stone of the college in Purnia was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually in 2019.
The construction work has been carried out by Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Limited (BMSICL) at a cost of ₹365.58 crore.
Purnia civil surgeon S K Verma said, “This is a beginning of a new era in health services and poor people in the region will no longer remain untreated due to shortage of money.”
