Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated dialysis centers in 16 Sub Divisional level hospitals through video conferencing. As many as 32 dialysis centers will be opened at the Sub Divisional level under the 5T initiative across the state.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that along with free treatment in government health care centers, more than 4 crore people are being provided with free-of-cost treatment through Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana and BSKY Nabin Card. This has done away with worries of people for money in case of illness.
Opining that treatment of kidney disease is very expensive, the Chief Minister said that by establishing of these centers kidney patients can get dialysis services free of cost near their homes.
He said that the free dialysis service-Sahay was started in 2018 to provide better health services to the people of the state. Odisha was the first state in the country to provide this service.
In the first phase, this service was started in all district headquarters hospitals. Now under the 5T initiative, it has been extended to Sub Divisional level hospitals. The Chief Minister said that 32 dialysis centers will be opened at the Sub Divisional level. He said that the state government would spend Rs 50 crore annually to provide free dialysis services to the patients.
Expressing that all life is precious to him, the Chief Minister said that government healthcare centers are being transformed. Ama Hospital program is being implemented to provide better services to the patients. The rich and poor are getting free medical facilities.
He strongly believed that this program would help achieve the goal of ‘Sustha Odisha Sukhi Odisha’.
It is worth noting that earlier in 2018, the state government had started ‘Sahay-free dialysis service’. As many as 36 dialysis centers were opened in Medical College Hospitals and District Headquarters Hospitals. Currently, in the second phase, the target is to open 32 dialysis centers at the Sub Divisional level. Out of this, the Chief Minister inaugurated 16 today. These centers are Khordha, Pallahara, Talcher, Soro, Kamakshyanagar, Hindol, Dharmagarh, Gunupur, Baliguda, Anandpur, Champua, Bonaigarh, Rairangpur, Udala, Tigiria and Dungurupalli. This expansion will enable 3.70 lakh sessions of dialysis per year in 68 dialysis centers and the state government will spend Rs 50 crore per year for this.
Joining the program at Dunguripalli in Subarnapur district Health and Family Welfare Minister Niranjan Pujari said that in the view of the Chief Minister, 4.5 crore people of Odisha are his family. Every life is precious to him. Due to the foresight of the Chief Minister, there has been a massive change in the healthcare sector. Today poor patients of the state are getting treatment in the reputed hospitals of the country.
Participating in the program from Tigiria in Cuttack district Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Ranendra Pratap Swain said that kidney patients no longer have to go to distant places for dialysis. The Chief Minister has set an example in the field of healthcare in the country by initiating many innovative schemes and programs.
Participating in the program, 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman Kartik Pandian said that a lot of money is spent on the treatment of cancer and kidney disease. Chief Minister has accepted 4.5 crore people of Odisha as his family. Therefore, taking it seriously, chemotherapy facilities for cancer and dialysis facilities for kidney disease have been made available free of cost near the homes of the patients. Dialysis facilities are now available near your homes. All patients will now have access to this facility near their homes at no cost. He further said that the Biju Nabin Card has been launched to include everyone in the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana in rural areas. It will also include all community support staff working in rural areas. Community support staff serve the community. Therefore, the protection of their health is very important, he said. He further said that the BSKY Nabin Card registration period will be extended further if necessary.
Debendra Das, Vijayalakshmi Sahu, Bhagwan Patra, Abhikshetra Sunani, Satyajit Panda, Chittaranjan Behera attended the program organized at Bonai, Gunupur, Pallahara, Dharmagarh, Soro, Udala and Rairangpur Sub Divisional hospitals and said that earlier dialysis patients had to go to distant places for availing dialysis and we were facing mental and financial problems. When the 5T chairman came to our area during the district visit, we told him about our problem. Expressing their gratitude and thanks to the Chief Minister and 5T Chairman they stated that their problem has been solved today.
Health and Family Welfare Secretary Shalini Pandit delivered the welcome speech and the Director of Health Services proposed the vote of thanks.
