No casualty or injury was reported as all patients, including pregnant and lactating women and newborns, were immediately shifted from the floor, sources said.

“I got information about the fire around midnight and immediately Fire Service personnel were called in to douse the flames. All patients are safe,” ADMO Ranjan Mitra told the media.

He further said that an attendant rushed on hearing a call bell installed besides beds on the floor. “When the patient denied having pressed the bell, the attendant realised that it could be due to a short circuit. Soon, they spotted a fire and the department was engulfed in smoke,” the ADMO added.

Prima facie, it appears that the fire broke out due to an electric short circuit though the actual cause is yet to be ascertained. Further probe is underway.

Baghel attended the event via video conferencing. State Health Minister Niranjan Pujari and Kalahandi MP Basanta Panda were also present.

The SRMMCH, spread over an area of 43 acre, has been built with an investment of Rs 531 crore. At present, 22 departments are functioning at the institute with a strength of 49 teaching faculty and 38 senior residents and tutors, informed Health Secretary Shalini Pandit.

The first batch of 100 MBBS students admitted to the college in academic year 2023-2024 were also present on the occasion. “These students have come from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Odisha. 41 among are from Odisha,” Pandit added.

Following the inauguration, the students also interacted with the dignitaries and shared their experiences.

Baghel spoke about the transformation of Kalahandi from “land of hunger” to its present state and advised the students to devote some time to serve the tribals of the area in their spare time.

Notably, the central government in 2020 approved establishment of the medical college & hospital in the district. The state government decided to name this MCH after Saheed Rendo Majhi, a tribal leader and the most prominent freedom fighter from the Kalahandi region, in June this year.

With this, the number of government medical colleges and hospitals in the state has gone up to 11.

Greeting the people of the district on the Kalahandi Foundation Day, the Chief Minister said that 63 buses will run under this scheme. These buses will operate in all panchayats of the district.

Inaugurating the scheme at the Kalahandi University campus, the Chief Minister said that the bus scheme will bring happiness to homes and take the vehicle of development forward. Altogether 1,000 buses will run under this scheme in the entire state.

The Chief Minister also named Kalahandi University as Ma Manikeshwari University.

It may be noted here that the main objective of the LAccMI scheme is to improve the local transport system and promote tourism and the regional economy. After launching the initiativve, the CM took a bus ride to Balrampur and inaugurated a BQS facility there.

Describing the day as a big milestone in the development journey of Kalahandi and a day of great joy, Naveen said a project worth more than Rs 300 crore was inaugurated here today. This apart, foundation stone for infrastructure projects worth Rs 900 crore was also laid. All these would further accelerate the development of the district, he said.

Stating that the LAccMI Yojana has been launched after getting to know about the problem of buses in the villages, the Chief Minister said the initiative will remove your daily worries as more than 1,000 buses will operate in the state soon. “The buses will come to your house and connect all – mobility of children to schools, farmers to markets, and mothers will increase,” he said.

Highlighting the development of the district, the Chief Minister said Kalahandi is our model in the field of transformation. Improvements in education, health communication, infrastructure, industry, and agriculture have made the dreams of the people of Kalahandi come true. Kalahandi has changed its history and added new success stories. The journey of development has progressed. Kalahandi is providing rice to the whole country today, the CM said

The Indravati Project is the engine of Kalahandi’s development and this project has brightened the face of of the district, he said. Nabin Odisha programme will be launched in the district soon under which each panchayat will receive Rs 50 lakh. This money will be spent on our culture and modern infrastructure, he said

The CM said that the development journey of Kalahandi will go further in the coming days with everyone’s cooperation.

The LAccMI scheme has already been launched in Malkangiri and Gajapati districts.

In the first phase, the scheme will provide bus service in rural areas of six districts – Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi, and Gajapati.

The state government will operate 1000 buses in the rural areas across the state with allocated budget of Rs 3,178 crore under the scheme. The buses will run from panchayats to block headquarters and from block headquarters to district headquarters.