Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today further strengthened healthcare infrastructure in the State by inaugurating teaching hospitals in five government medical colleges of the State in addition to laying foundation stones for building world-class health infrastructure in four medical colleges.
The teaching hospitals inaugurated by the Chief Minister today are 650-bedded Bhima Bhoi Medical College & Hospital in Balangir, 650-bedded Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College & Hospital in Baripada, 500-bedded Government Medical College and Hospital in Sundargarh, 500-bedded Dharani Dhar Medical College and Hospital in Keonjhar and 650-bedded Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Balasore. Further, the CM laid foundation stones to provide world-class infrastructure to Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer at Cuttack, MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur, Rourkela Government Hospital and Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Institute at Burla. These are the important steps towards achieving the Chief Minister’s ‘Sustha Odisha Sukhi Odisha’ initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that today will remain a milestone in Odisha’s healthcare sector. Today, on a single day 2,950 beds were added in 5 medical college hospitals. The State government has spent more than Rs 2,000 crore on this account. People from Balangir to Baripada, Sundargarh to Keonjhar and Balasore will benefit from this. The confidence of the people in our healthcare system has increased. He said that we aim to provide better treatment and services to the people.
The Chief Minister again said that there were only 3 government medical colleges in Odisha. In the last 6 years, 8 new medical colleges and 2 post-graduate institutes have come up. Three more medical colleges are also going to be established in the coming days. Every year doctors and paramedic staff are being recruited. Earlier only 321 MBBS doctors and 254 specialists used to pass out every year. Now 2525 MBBS doctors and 972 specialists are passing out from medical colleges in the state.
The Chief Minister further said that the 5T initiative has transformed the healthcare sector. For the benefit of the people hospitals are being developed into ‘Ama Hospitals’.
He informed that foundation stones were laid for transforming Acharya Harihar Cancer Hospital in Cuttack, MKCG in Berhampur, Medical College, VIMSAR in Burla and RGH in Rourkela to world-class standards. More than Rs 3,400 crore will be spent on this.
Highlighting the current healthcare scheme in the state, the Chief Minister stated that every life is precious to him.
“For this, we have implemented various programs in the field of healthcare, starting from Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. New medical facilities are also being developed in government hospitals. Both the rich and the poor are getting free treatment in government hospitals.” He said that we all should take this transformation of the healthcare sector further and strengthen the foundation of new Odisha through ‘Sustha Odisha Sukhi Odisha’.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Niranjan Pujari, who was present at Burla, said that the Chief Minister is improving the health infrastructure of the state to provide the best medical facilities to the people. He said that the Chief Minister is continuing with his efforts under the 5T initiative to take the healthcare system of the state to the next level to provide better quality and proper healthcare facilities to the people.
5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman Kartik Pandian coordinated the program and thanked everyone who helped in the development of these health infrastructures.
Water Resources, Commerce & Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu from Balangir, ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ Coordinator Jogesh Singh from Sundergarh, MLA Souvic Biswal from Cuttack, MLA Bikram Kumar Panda from Berhampur joined the program and said that the people of Odisha will never forget commitment of the Chief Minister to provide quality healthcare to the people of the state.
Commissioner and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department Shalini Pandit delivered the welcome address and DMET proposed the vote of thanks.
