S C B Medical College, Cuttack

About S C B Medical College, Cuttack

Sriram Chandra Bhanj Medical College & Hospital (S.C.B Medical College) is a pioneer medical institute in Eastern India in medical teaching, training, research and patient care. This Institution is situated in the City of Cuttack with a sprawling campus of 87.32 acres. It has been recognized by MCI (Medical Council of India) as an ideal undergraduate institution facilitating education and training in super specialty subjects under medical and surgical disciplines.

Sriram Chandra Bhanj Medical College & Hospital (S.C.B Medical College) is a pioneer medical institute in Eastern India in medical teaching, training, research and patient care.

This Institution is situated in the City of Cuttack with a sprawling campus of 87.32 acres. It has been recognized by MCI (Medical Council of India) as an ideal undergraduate institution facilitating education and training in super specialty subjects under medical and surgical disciplines.

The S C B Medical College is one of the most well known medical centers that provide medical services in Cuttack. This college is a significant part of Cuttack health care. The S C B Medical College of Cuttack is the oldest medical college and hospital of the region. This institute plays a significant role in the sector of medical sciences in the city. Besides providing a number of medical services, it also offers a number of medical courses to the young people of the region. This medical center is managed by the government. The S C B Medical College of Cuttack is often preferred over any other medical center of the place as it gives personalized attention to all the patients. The hospital is equipped with all the necessary amenities.

The origin of the dispensary which the Cuttack general hospital replaced, is lost in antiquity. It is believed to have ex56isted since the days of Indian Rule in Orissa and was established primarily for the benefit of the pilgrims proceedings to Puri (otherwise called Jagannath). It was originally maintained from the proceeds of an endowment made by Marahatta Government.

In 1874 it was raised to the status of a General Hospital, accommodation being provided for the treatment of sick European and European servants, of Government at Cuttack. The institution was principally supported by the ‘Annachhatra Find’ and annual assignment made by the British Government. In 1925 the hospital was provincialised and since then it has been maintained by the provincial Government.

The establishment of the present hospital was almost synchronous with the foundation of the Orissa Medical School during the Lieutenant Governorship of Sir Richard Temple and the commissionership of Mr. T.E. Ravenshaw, Since then the hospital is supplying clinical materials for the practical training of the medical students. The hospital is now named as the “Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College Hospital, Cuttack vide G.O. No. 9620 L.S.G. dateded 20.10.49.

Sriram Chandra Bhanja (S.C.B.) Medical College and its hospital, is presently running its 63rd year of existence. Established in the Pre-Independence India, under the British Raj in 1944, it happens to be a pioneer institute in the whole of eastern part of India in medical teaching, training, research and patient care. The saga of its birth, baptism and upbringing is nostalgic and reminds one of the sagacious stewardship of a few worthy sons of Odisha as well as of a handful of benevolent Britishers.

Outlining the various events chronologically with regard to the history of this institution right from its early embryonic stage to the present state of growth and evolution, one gets struck with wonder and awe. Starting from a tender, tiny sapling more than one and half century ago, has progressed slowly but steadily to its present amazing form of a mammoth , sprawling tree which in a true sense, ushered in the modern medical practice and training to our State as well as parts of the neighboring states.

There existed a small dispensary in the premises of the present medical college during the days of the Marhatta rule in the later half of the eighteenth century. The sole purpose of that dispensary was to render medical assistance to sick pilgrims enroute to and from Puri, especially during the �Car Festival� of Lord Jagannath. Thousands of devout from all over the sub-continent converged every year to the �Puri Dham� , one of the four Sacred Dhams of Hindus, during the months of June or July to attend the week long famous festival. On account of the poor sanitary conditions existing then and non-availability of safe potable water, many of them were naturally stricken with communicable diseases like malaria, cholera and gastroenteritis on their protracted journeys. This was a regular annual feature for which, the Marhatta rulers had thoughtfully established some road-side, small dispensaries to cater to the needs of these ailing pilgrims and the one at Cuttack was by far the biggest and comparatively well equipped. This dispensary continued to function admirably till the British occupation of Orissa in 1803 A.D. The British rulers, in due course of time, realised the strategic importance of this dispensary at Cuttack and converted it to a small hospital. Regular financial assistance was made available and the hospital ran smoothly for years thereafter. Following the Great Famine of 1865-66, the British rulers were forced to undertake some development works in Odisha like digging canals, building roads and laying rail tracks in order to improve the communication links to and from the State, but even in such tight financial situation, they did not starve this tiny hospital for adequate funds. they made substantial provisions for it by pumping enough money from the �Annachhatra Fund� so that the hospital ran smoothly.