Bhubaneswar: The teaching hospital of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Medical College and Hospital, Phulbani, in Kandhamal district is expected to become operational by March next year, according to health and family welfare department officials in Bhubaneswar.A departmental team led by Umakant Satapathy, officer on special duty, and Anil Kumar Sahu, joint director of Directorate of Medical Education and Training, recently inspected the campus and reviewed preparations for shifting services to the newly built facility. The team assessed infrastructure, patient movement, staffing requirements and arrangements required to launch clinical services without disrupting existing care.Official sources said the hospital will open in phases to ensure smooth patient care, management and referral systems. Ambulances will be stationed near the hospital to support emergency transport and timely referrals during the transition. The first phase will begin with a casualty unit. Services in medicine, psychiatry and dermatology are expected to follow.Satapathy said surgery services will be introduced later, along with operation theatre and intensive care unit facilities. Departments such as paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and other specialties will also be made functional in subsequent stages. Indoor facilities will be opened gradually as departments become ready for patient admission and treatment.Currently, the district headquarters hospital is being used as the teaching hospital for the medical college. Once the new hospital inside the college campus starts functioning, patients visiting the medical college will receive care at the new facility, while those reporting to the district headquarters hospital will continue to be treated there.Satapathy said steps are being taken to prevent inconvenience to patients during the shift. The medical college began admissions from the current academic session, and construction of the teaching hospital has already been completed. The phased launch is aimed at strengthening medical education and specialist healthcare services in Kandhamal district and nearby areas.