Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday inaugurated a new medical college at Phulbani in Kandhamal district.
During his visit to the tribal-dominated district, the Chief Minister inaugurated the government medical college with 100 seats. Majhi also inaugurated a 650-bed government hospital at Phulbani in the presence of Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling and other dignitaries.
While affirming his government’s resolve to ensure speedy development of the district, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of various projects worth over Rs 750 crore.
Speaking on the occasion, Majhi said that the new government medical college and hospital at Phulbani will ensure better healthcare to the people of Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Boudh and Kalahandi districts.
Noting that the people of this region had to travel to Berhampur or Cuttack to avail better health care, he said the newly-established medical college and hospital will now cater to their needs.
The Chief Minister also reiterated the state government’s commitment to improving the healthcare facility across Odisha by establishing new medical colleges and hospitals and creating additional posts of doctors and health staff.
“I hope that the government medical college at Phulbani will make significant contribution to the field of medical education and research. Similarly, the medicos of this health institute will create examples for others through their dedication to service,” said Majhi.
With the introduction of ‘Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’ in Odisha, over 3.5 crore people of the state will be able to get free healthcare in 29,000 private medical facilities in the country. Along with Ayushman Bharat scheme, the state government’s Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana is being implemented as a single health service scheme. More than 80 percent of people of the state will get benefits from these health service schemes, the CM said.
Asserting that there will be no shortage of doctors in Odisha in the next one year, he said every government hospital will have the required number of doctors. In this year’s budget, a provision of Rs. 23,635 crore has been made for healthcare alone, which is 8.2 percent of the total budget. This is the highest in the history of the state, Majhi said.
Speaking on the occasion, the Health Minister said that the government medical college at Phulbani will enroll students for MBBS courses from this academic year.
Asserting that the state government has decided to establish medical colleges in all 30 districts of the state, Mahaling said steps are being taken to open Ayushman Arogya Mandir in every gram panchayat in the state.
