Protests break out ahead of IPGISSH handover to Apollo Hospitals

ROURKELA :  The move to hand over SAIL’s Ispat PG Institute and Super Speciality Hospital (IPGISSH) at Rourkela to Apollo Hospitals has snowballed into a political controversy, putting the BJP in dock.

With just over a year left for the 2024 general elections, Rourkela Nagarik Suraksha Manch has questioned the decision of allowing commercial gain to a private entity after constructing the IPGISSH at a cost of Rs 295 crore from the PM Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (PMSKY) on SAIL’s land and ignoring the demand for its takeover by the AIIMS.

Ahead of their call to shutdown Rourkela on March 1, members of the Manch intensified protests against the move to hand over IPGISSH to Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd (AHEL). On Monday and Tuesday, the Manch staged demonstrations and took out rallies to mobilise public opinion against the move. Incidentally, the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL will formally hand over IPGISSH to AHEL from March 1. AHEL will act as the operation and maintenance (O&M) partner of IPGISSH.

Manch convener and CITU’s national vice-president Bishnu Mohanty said in April 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to upgrade the Ispat General Hospital (IGH) of RSP into a medical college and super speciality hospital. But there was no mention of privatising and commercialising the hospital. “Our fight will continue till AIIMS takes over the IPGISSH,” he added.

Member of the Manch Harihar Routray said former union minister Dilip Ray was instrumental in upgrading the IGH into a medical college and super speciality hospital. He had resigned from all BJP posts in 2018 over the delay in upgradation. If AIIMS takes over IPGISSH, poor people of Sundargarh and beyond will be able to get advanced healthcare, he said.

However, state spokesperson of BJP Dhiren Senapati said the Manch comprises Left leaders who lack people’s support. “They are deliberately targeting the PM and other senior BJP leaders over the issue. There is no precedence of AIIMS taking over the administration of other hospitals and IPGISSH is committed to provide affordable treatment,” he added.