Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has planned to establish an ayurvedic medical college in Mayurbhanj district, informed Health & Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling revealed in the State Assembly today.
“An ayurvedic medical college will be set up in Mayurbhanj district. The state government is taking the necessary steps to make this a reality,” the Minister stated during the session.
In addition to this initiative, the government has begun the process of filling vacant doctor positions across the state. Mahaling shared that an advertisement has been issued for the recruitment of 5,248 MBBS doctors to strengthen the healthcare workforce.
Currently, Odisha has 16,918 hospital beds, significantly fewer than the required 34,000. To address this gap, the government plans to add 17,000 new hospital beds in the near future.
The Minister reiterated the state government’s commitment to establishing a medical college in every district. “Two new medical colleges will be opened this year as part of this vision,” he added.
In a significant policy shift, the government has discontinued the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), a health insurance scheme introduced by the previous BJD government. The BJP-led administration has renamed the scheme as Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana (GJAY) and integrated it with the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) of the Union Government.
