Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday evening inaugurated the Shri Jagannath Medical College in the holy town of Puri, about 67km from here.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya attended the inaugural ceremony virtually.

The medical college, which has been established jointly by the Centre and the state government, has the capacity to admit 100 MBBS students annually.

Speaking on the occasion, Naveen said: “This is a historic day for Puri district. I hope that, with the efforts of the teachers and students, this institution will get a great name in serving the people of Puri. It is heartening to know that the students from the poorest sections have got into the medical college. Especially, the students from the government schools have got admissions due to the 15 per cent reservation policy of the state government.”

He wished the students on the start of their first day in the medical course.

The chief minister thanked the Union health and family welfare minister for his support in establishing the medical college.

Naveen and Mandaviya also interacted with the students and faculty.

Radhaballava Behera, a medical student, thanked the state government for the reservation policy for government school students.

Behera, the son of a sharecropper from Balasore district, got admission in the college under the quota for the government school students.

Another student, Bhatta Hembram, said he came from a very poor tribal family in a remote area of Mayurbhanj. His parents are daily wage labourers with a large family of eight children. With grit and determination, he fulfilled his dream of getting admission into the medical college.

Hembram also thanked the state government for the quota.

Mandaviya motivated the students to work for the rural population and provide the best of health care to poor patients.

The medical college has started functioning with health facilities of the District Headquarters Hospital.

A 650-bed teaching hospital is under construction by the state government.

This college and hospital will provide quality health care services to the people of Puri district and also to a large number of tourists visiting Puri town.