A commemorative postage stamp on the Platinum Jubilee of Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital, a public medical college in Cuttack :

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 27, 2021

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a Commemorative Postage Stamp on S.C.B. Medical College & Hospital on its Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

Credits :
Stamps/FDC/Brochure : Shri Brahm Prakash
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 302980

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The history of S.C.B. Medical College, Cuttack dates back to the Maratha rule when a first-aid centre was started at the current location to treat sick pilgrims enroute to Puri & back during the famous Car Festival (Ratha Yatra) of Lord Jagannath.
• In 1875, the Odisha Medical School was born under the tutelage of the British which subsequently became the Odisha Medical College in 1944. It was renamed as Sri Rama Chandra Bhanja Medical College in 1951 to honour the Maharaja of the then princely state of Mayurbhanj for his handsome financial contribution of Rupees One lakh and thirty thousand, a huge amount during those times. The first batch of 22 MBBS students joined in 1944 and passed in 1948, and MCI recognised the course in 1952 with retrospective effect. Post graduate courses, MD/MS was started in 1960 and post-doctoral training in Cardiology and Neurosurgery from 1981. Since then many disciplines have started post-doctoral courses. Very few medical colleges in the country can boast of this long tradition and history.
• The institute stands tall among the medical colleges of the country as an outstanding example of excellence in training and patient care. Nearly 2000 trained man-power emerge from the institute annually and thousands have spanned out to different corners of the country and the world over 10 decades of its existence. It has been recognised by the then MCI as an ideal institution facilitating education and training in under-graduate, post-graduate and super-speciality subjects. Many doctors from this institution are luminaries in their respective fields. S.C.B. is a saga of brilliance in multiple fields and growing by leaps and bounds.
• It has a sprawling campus of 87 acres which accommodates the medical college and hospital, the dental college, the nursing college, pharmacy wing, and the DMLT wing. It has a large academic complex that includes state-of-the-art lecture theatres, library, and auditorium besides multiple hostels for the students.
• The services provided to the patients at no cost are unbelievable. It has a bed capacity of 2200, and the mega expansion plan in the offing will increase it to a staggering 5000 beds. The new complex is expected to be completed by early part of 2024 with a budget provision of 3500 crores. It is being constructed under the supervision of the government of Odisha and it will be state-of-the-art in all domains that few medical colleges in the world can boast having a world class health care facility.
• There are some outstanding stand-alone services and Departments that very few medical colleges in the country can match. The Telemedicine Resource Centre in unique. It has started in 2001 with the help of ISRO and SGPGL, Lucknow. It has been catering to the needs of thousands of patients across the state, training doctors in the peripheral service and providing on-line classes to the students during the pandemic.
• Research has been a growing priority of the institute. Many departments are involved in collaborative research with other national centres. There are multiple extra-mural projects supported by national funding agencies like ICMR, DBT and DST. Excellent research facilities like the MRU (Multi-disciplinary research unit) and VRDL (Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory), funded by the central government, have been facilitating quality research.
• The Alumni Association of the Institute boasts of an outstanding galaxy of celebrity alumni who are luminaries in many disciplines across the world. Many have received accolades like Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, Dr B C Roy award and Samanta Chandra Sekhar award for their outstanding contribution in the field of medical science. They provide inspiration to generations of students who graduate from this institution.
• The COVID pandemic was a challenge that the institution accepted. The institution has created 4 dedicated, 600 bedded COVID Units, within the premises, with dedicated facilities for dialysis, OT for surgery, Paediatric unit and an Obstetrics and Gynaecology wing for pregnant mothers and 140 ICU beds. Over 10,000 patients have been treated since its inception.
• The recent installation of 9 ECMO units by the government at S.C.B. Medical College has been a historic step. It is the largest ECMO facility in Eastern India and perhaps in the country in a Govt. hospital. Care is provided to the patients free of cost. Critical COVID-19 patients needing ECMO support, who were being air-lifted to other centres in the country, have availed this facility in this institute.
• S.C.B. Medical College is not just a heritage institution that has blended with modernity. It is a sacred place for thousands of students who wish to excel, and millions of patients – mostly poor, under-privileged, and the needy, who cannot afford the high cost of modern medicine. It is indeed an institution that every citizen of the country should be proud of.
• Text : Based on information received from the proponent.

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