Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced a series of initiatives to strengthen traditional medicine and Ayurveda in the state, including the establishment of a new Ayurvedic college at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district with an investment of ₹85 crore.
The Chief Minister made the announcement while addressing the state-level National Ayurveda Day function in Bhubaneswar. “With the support of both the Centre and the state government, we will set up an Ayurvedic college at Rairangpur this year. Around ₹85 crore will be spent on the project,” Majhi said.
Highlighting the state’s focus on holistic healthcare, Majhi also declared that eight new Panchakarma centres will be set up across Odisha this year. Panchakarma centres offer specialized Ayurvedic therapies aimed at detoxification and rejuvenation. Currently, Odisha has one such facility at Kendrapara District Headquarters Hospital, while two more are under construction at Bargarh and Keonjhar.
The Chief Minister outlined the state’s existing infrastructure for Ayurveda and other traditional systems under AYUSH: three government Ayurvedic colleges, four government homoeopathic colleges, and a network of Ayurvedic and homoeopathic hospitals that provide treatment to thousands of patients from within and outside the state. In addition, Odisha operates 1,011 AYUSH dispensaries, including 620 Ayurvedic, 562 homoeopathic, and nine Unani centres, serving both urban and rural populations.
Further, under the National AYUSH Mission, integrated AYUSH hospitals are being established in Dhenkanal, Berhampur, and Balasore, Majhi said.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling added that more than 2.3 crore patients have already benefited from Ayurveda treatment in Odisha this year. “Through the AYUSH Department, we are working to ensure Ayurveda services reach every corner of the state—from villages to towns,” Mahaling said.
