NABARANGPUR:The State Government is making all-out efforts to provide better health services to people, said Health Minister Pratap Jena here on Friday.
Reviewing the health service in the district, Jena informed that the hospital at Umerkote will be upgraded to sub-divisional hospital and a blood bank will be set up there.
Participating in the review meeting, ST and SC Development Minister Ramesh Majhi requested Jena to fill up the vacant posts of specialists in district headquarters hospital (DHH). Majhi also said the 108 ambulance service is struggling to reach the needy people in time in rural areas of the district.
Local MP Balabhadra Majhi said there is an acute shortage of residential accommodations in the district. He said while doctors posted in adjacent Koraput district are getting `15,000 incentive per month, those in Nabarangpur are paid only `5000 incentive. This is dissuading doctors to work in the district. The MP urged the Health Minister to increase the incentive amount for doctors in Nabarangpur and keep it at par with the adjacent district. Jena assured to fill up the vacant specialist posts in the DHH.
Among others, MLA Manohar Randhari, Collector Rashmita Panda and Health officials were present.
Health Minister reviews Korpaut MCH work
Koraput: Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena on Friday said the Sahid Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (MCH) at Koraput is on the right track to start academic session from this year. During a review meeting on newly constructed medical college campus, he asked the officials to monitor the construction work and procurement of various materials for the college. However, he expressed his dissatisfaction over purchase of substandard furniture for the college and said all the challenges, including recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff, would be resolved soon. ST and SC Development Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Collector Anupam Saha and senior officials of the MCH accompanied the minister.