Anugola: Independence Day celebrations in Anugola went beyond the customary flag-hoisting ceremony on Saturday as the district received a major healthcare boost with the inauguration of a 10-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), three modular operation theatres and the launch of a free auto ambulance service for remote villages.
Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, who unfurled the National Flag at the district-level Independence Day function at the Anugola Police Training Centre, later inaugurated a series of healthcare facilities at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), describing quality healthcare as one of the State Government’s top priorities.
The newly commissioned infrastructure at the DHH includes three state-of-the-art modular operation theatres, a 10-bed ICU, an echocardiography (Echo) machine, an endoscopy machine and a patient attendants’ rest house.
In another key initiative, the Minister flagged off the ‘Jeevan Sathi’ Auto Ambulance Service, which will provide free round-the-clock emergency transportation for pregnant women and children below five years of age in 44 villages across Chhendipada, Palalahada, Kaniha and Athmallik blocks. The service has been jointly launched by the district administration and the Health & Family Welfare Department to improve emergency healthcare access in remote areas.
Earlier in the day, Naik addressed the district-level Independence Day gathering, where he described Anugola as a land of sacrifice, self-respect and people’s movements. Recalling the district’s contribution to Odisha’s freedom movement, he urged people to uphold the values of patriotism, unity and public service while working towards the state’s development.
As part of the day’s engagements, the Minister visited the DHH and distributed fruits among patients. He also interacted with doctors and healthcare workers, appreciating their services and reiterating the government’s commitment to strengthening public healthcare.
Naik later attended a voluntary blood donation camp at the hospital, where he congratulated donors and appealed to the youth to make blood donation a regular social responsibility, saying every unit of donated blood could help save a life.
The Minister also inspected the Anugola District Jail and reviewed inmate welfare measures. Stressing that prisons should serve as centres of reformation rather than merely institutions of punishment, he encouraged inmates to reform themselves and reintegrate into society with dignity.
Anugola MLA Pratap Chandra Pradhan, senior district officials, police officers and health department functionaries accompanied the Minister during the day’s programmes.
