Bhubaneswar: A major milestone was achieved for healthcare in Odisha as the state’s Labour & ESI Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ESI Corporation, Government of India on 18, May, 2026. The agreement officially greenlights the establishment of a new ESI Medical College & Hospital at Andharua, Bhubaneswar. To kickstart the project immediately, the state government handed over the existing ESI Hospital at Chandrasekharpur to the ESI Corporation, where the medical college will begin its initial operations.
The formal signing ceremony took place at the fifth-floor Conference Hall in Kharavel Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, bringing together senior officials from both state and central administrative bodies. Reflecting the immense significance of the agreement, the MoU was executed in the presence of Smt. Chitra Arumugam, Additional Chief Secretary of the Labour and ESI Department, Government of Odisha, alongside several other high-ranking officials.
From the Labour and ESI Department, Odisha the MoU was signed by Rajesh Kumar Agarwala (Additional Secretary of the Labour & ESI Department), Madhumita Nayak (Director of the ESI Scheme, Odisha), Dr. Suryanarayan Padhi (Joint Director), and Dr. Amiya Kumar Samal (Superintendent of the ESI Hospital at Chandrasekharpur).
Representing the central ESI Corporation, the signatories included Dr. Rachita Biswas (Medical Commissioner for the East Zone), Sri Rudradeep Dutta (Regional Director of the Bhubaneswar Regional Office), Dr. Ava Tirkey (State Medical Officer), and Sri Sandeep Goel (Executive Engineer). This successful administrative transition is expected to significantly boost and optimize healthcare delivery for beneficiaries throughout the region.
