BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said the state government had set a target to make Odisha one of the top 10 health care service provider states in the country.
Addressing a job fair at the Lok Seva Bhawan here, Majhi, however, underscored an urgent need for improvement of health infrastructure and services in the state.
The chief minister rued that Odisha has not achieved the excellence that was expected in the health care and higher education sectors in the last two decades. The latest health care sector ranking brought out by NITI Aayog has placed Odisha third from the bottom among all the states.
“There was much propaganda about creation of world class health infrastructure in Odisha but the state has received only 40.19 points out of 100 in the ranking published by the NITI Aayog. The situation will have to be changed now. Odisha will have to secure at least 60 points out 100 in health ranking,” he said.
“Our government has already started work to achieve this target. The health sector has received 32 per cent more funds in the 2024-25 budget compared to the 2023-24. Maximum funds from the budget allocation for health sector will be spent on infrastructure development,” he said.
Stating that the government is committed to establish one medical college in every district, the chief minister said the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana will play an important role in making top quality health care accessible to people of Odisha.
The chief minister handed over appointment letters to 85 homeopathic doctors, 239 radiographers in Health and Family Welfare department and 52 lecturers under the Higher Education department. He also announced that pharmacy officers will be appointed in hospitals soon.