Renaming hospital: After alumni object, an inauguration is shelved

THE INAUGURATION of the multi-specialty hospital at IIT Kharagpur was dropped final minute from the Prime Minister’s convocation schedule following a letter from alumni objecting to renaming the hospital — initially devoted to former chief minister of West Bengal Dr B C Roy — after Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, The Indian Express has realized.
When contacted, Institute Registrar Tamal Nath mentioned: “The inauguration was deferred for some technical reasons.” Asked to elaborate on the technical causes, he mentioned, “I am not aware of that right now.”
Sources mentioned the federal government requested IIT-Kharagpur to make clear whether or not the hospital was, certainly, renamed, after a protest letter from a gaggle of alumni. The inauguration was shelved as soon as the institute acknowledged the change in nomenclature.

There are two medical amenities of IIT-Kharagpur named after Dr B C Roy. The institute’s medical centre (referred to as B C Roy Technology Hospital), meant for treating workers, college students, and the newly constructed multi-specialty hospital. While the previous has been round for many years, the hospital’s concept was conceived in 2006. Its basis stone was laid in 2007 by the then President APJ Abdul Kalam. The institute had arrange an organization to run the hospital.
“The original plan was to merge the medical centre with the hospital eventually. That, however, didn’t happen since the staff employed with the medical centre did not want to work for a company. Since the merger was ruled out, it was felt that the medical centre and the hospital should have different names. The institute then moved a proposal to rename the hospital after Syama Prasad Mookerjee and the Board of Governors approved it December last year,” mentioned a supply within the institute.

The transfer was introduced this month when Director V Okay Tewar, posted on Facebook plans to get the PM to inaugurate Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research earlier than his convocation deal with.