World Arthritis Day: Odisha Health Minister Lauds SOA’s Role In Providing Healthcare To Masses

Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of World Arthritis Day, Odisha Health & Family Welfare minister Naba Kishore Das lauded Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan’s (SOA) role in extending healthcare to the people of the state and acknowledged its yeoman service in battling the COVID-19 pandemic by joining hands with the state government.

“SOA has been consistently extending healthcare to the people of Odisha for many years and set up Covid hospitals to battle the pandemic,” Das said at a function at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here.

The minister specifically thanked SOA Founder President Prof. (Dr) Manojranjan Nayak for creating an example in ensuring healthcare for the poor in the private sector.

SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra said that arthritis could affect any person post the age of 30 years. Hence, young people should focus on their lifestyle and choice of food intake to avoid such ailments, he added.

Prof. (Dr) Sanghamitra Mishra, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital, and Prof. (Dr) Pusparaj Samantasinhar, Medical Superintendent, explained how the poor patients coming to the hospital were benefitting through the government’s Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) scheme.

A Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme on the theme for this year’s World Arthritis Day – ‘Arthritis is treatable, don’t ignore it’ – was organized.

Prof. (Dr) Pradipta Sekhar Patro, head of the department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology in the hospital, said that arthritis could affect people of any age or class.

Earlier in the day, students and faculty members of IMS and SUM Hospital took out a rally from Master Canteen square to Ram Mandir crossing to create awareness about the disease.

State minister for Science and Technology Ashok Chandra Panda and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra joined the rally, along with SOA’s Chief Vigilance Officer Jugal Kishore Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare) Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Medical Superintendent of IMS and SUM Hospital Prof. (Dr) Samantasinhar and others.