BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched three health infrastructure projects in Odisha virtually from New Delhi.
Modi laid the foundation stone of the Central Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy at Binjhagiri in Khurda district, inaugurated a critical care block under Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) in Bargarh district and a Central Drug Testing Laboratory at Gothapatna on the outskirts of the capital city.
Attending the programme at Gothapatna, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “The drug testing laboratory is a testament to the central government’s goodwill towards Odisha. This laboratory will revolutionise drug testing and quality control in the state.”
“Earlier, we relied on laboratories outside the state for drug testing but now we can conduct them locally saving time and benefitting our people. This facility will also promote high-quality drug distribution and reduce the workload on existing state laboratories,” he added.
Expressing gratitude to the prime minister for launching various initiatives benefitting the people and extending the free treatment to elderly persons above 70 years under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Majhi termed it as Modi’s Diwali gift to the elderly citizens of the country.
Asserting that his government is going to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme soon in Odisha alongside its own health scheme, Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, the chief minister said integration of these two schemes will free the people of the state from worries about medical treatment. A budget allocation of Rs 3,556 crore has been made for these two schemes, he added.
The chief minister said, “Improving healthcare services is a top priority for our government. We have allocated over Rs 21,000 crore for healthcare for the current financial year which is a 32 per cent increase from last year, accounting for eight per cent of our total budget. This shows how seriously our government takes healthcare.”
Health minister Mukesh Mahaling and Ekamra MLA Babu Singh also graced the occasion.