Bhubaneswar, May 12: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, today, approved in-principle the proposal of the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) to start the Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Talcher, Angul.

The Health and Family Welfare Department will run the medical college and hospital, while MCL will provide the necessary funds.

This will be a major step towards providing quality health care facilities to the people of Angul and adjacent districts. The medical college will further strengthen the efforts of the state government to improve the capacity of the medical education institutions in the state.

The Mahanadi Coal Fields Limited (MCL) will provide the funding towards the establishment and running of the Medical college and hospital. MCL has constructed the institution in 20 acres of land provided by the State government.

The medical college will have 100 seats capacity admission per year and the hospital has facilities with 500 beds.

Initially, MCL has tried to operate the college and hospital through PPP mode. However, later MCL, based on conversation between the Union Minister of Coal and Chief Minister, sent a proposal for the state government to take over the responsibility for operating the medical college and hospital.