Union Minister Urges Odisha Govt To Implement Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme

Bhubaneswar: Union Minister of State for Health, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar attended the Argus Odisha Health Connect Programme in Bhubaneswar and urged the state government to implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana for the greater benefit of the people.

“With the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, a person from Odisha will be able to avail a range of healthcare benefit anywhere in the country, but unfortunately it is not being implemented here. The state government should think about it and implement it at the earliest,” Dr Pawar said at the programme.

She said more than 6000 Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres are functional in Odisha. “The Centre has allocated Rs 1347 crore to the state under Ayushman Bharat health infrastructure mission to strengthen health infrastructure and set up advanced technology labs in every district for health check up”, she said.

On India taking over the Presidency of G20, Pawar said it is a moment of pride for the country. She said, India has shown its strength during Corona. “We have become an exporter of PPE kits and other medical equipment. India has supplied vaccine to more than 150 countries and had showed its strength as a world leader,” she added.

She said Prime Ministeri Narendra Modi has called for the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam concept and in line with this everyone should take efforts and contribute in making India stronger. “We are in the Amrit Kaal right now and focus now should remain on how to make India further strong. For this, a collective effort is the need of the hour,” Pawar added.

Calling for an Ek Bharat Swasth Bharat, the Minister asked the experts participating in the programme to deliberate and come up with feedbacks and suggestions which can be incorporated in healthcare system in order to improve the same further. “Feedbacks always make us better and I understand that such programmes are serving to that particular purpose,” she said.

The Minister also visited ICMR’s Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) at Bhubaneswar and reviewed the functions. Commending the effort and dedication of researchers during the Covid pandemic, Dr Pawar said the nation is proud of the researchers, professionals and workers of the health sector.

She said, India’s achievement of a record 219 crore vaccine doses is a collective and combined effort. The government is committed to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to people at the grassroot. The Minister also released a book on ‘Odi-Sci: The odyssey of the women scientists of Odisha’ on the occasion.

The Union Minister had a darshan of lord Jagannath and reviewed the facilities at Dolabedikona Urban Public Health Centre in Puri.