Mayurbhanj homeo college ailing

BARIPADA: THE 40-year-old Mayurbhanj Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital (MHMCH)  paints a picture of neglect.Admission to the private college, which is affiliated to North Odisha University, was  stopped three years back by the Central Council of Homeopathic, New Delhi, owing to  lack of faculty members.

The college was started in 1980 by Dr Gourachandra Giri with a four-and-a-half-year course in Bachelor in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) programme and an intake capacity of 30 students. This is the only homeopathic college in Northern Odisha.

Following the directive of the Council, no students were admitted to the college in  2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic sessions.

The Council asked the college  authorities to fill up the vacant faculty posts before admitting students but as no new recruitment was made in the last three years, admissions had to be stopped.  

Currently, the group of 30 students of 2015-16 batch are pursuing the BHMS course.  Against the need of 24 faculty members, there are only three in position.To manage  the situation, the college has hired 14 contractual faculty members.The college has 12 departments equipped with adequate modern instruments and  technical equipment besides a big herbal garden as well as girls’ and boys’ hostels.  

Even though the institution has all infrastructure, the State Government is yet to take it under its fold.
Though the private homeopathy medical colleges in  Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur were taken over by the Government in 1994, this was left out for reasons unknown.Before the last General Elections in 2014, intelligentsia and social workers of the  district had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik highlighting the condition of the college and he had assured to look into the issue. However, nothing has been done so far.

In his last public meeting in Baripada on January 30, the Chief Minister had said  that the State Government is considering setting up an ayurveda college in Baripada.A social activist, Chandan Sejpada, said instead of setting up an ayurveda college, the Government should revive the homeopathic college.

College principal Debkumar Das expressed helplessness on the state of affairs. He said the State Government should immediately intervene to save the college, which is ailing for want of faculty members.