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Odisha making rapid strides to ensure health for all citizens

NewsOdisha making rapid strides to ensure health for all citizens

The government of Odisha believes that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmity. “HEALTH FOR ALL” does not mean an end to disease and disability. It means that resources for health are evenly distributed and that essential health is accessible to everyone. It means that health begins at home, in school, and at the workplace, and that people use better approaches for preventing illness and alleviating unavoidable disease and disability.

It means that people recognise that ill-health is not inevitable and that they can shape their own lives and lives of their families, free from the avoidable burden of disease.

The state government, under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Naveeen Patnaik, has undertaken a slew of measures over the years to ensure good health for all citizens of the state.

CM launches Niramaya scheme

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik launched the “Niramaya” scheme in 2015 under which 570 different medicines are provided free of cost to patients in government hospitals.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu S Nayak has said that patients across the state will get 272 kinds of medicines in three state-run medical colleges and 30 district headquarters hospitals. The facility is being extended to all government health centres soon.

Besides, free medicines would also be available in Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and the Rourkela government hospital. The state government is distributing free medicines for cancer, thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.

Six new medical colleges soon

Six new medical colleges would be coming up in Odisha in the near future in Bolangir, Balasore, Koraput, Baripada, Puri and Keonjhar.

In fact, a long-standing demand of the people of Keonjhar district was fulfilled in February 2016 as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced setting up of a medical college in Keonjhar at an investment of Rs 500 crore. Earlier, the state government had set up three medical college and hospitals at Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla. There is a target of setting up 101 heart centres in all 30 districts, out of which 10 centres are coming up soon.

MMR & IMR

The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Odisha have shown progressive declines over the years, thus indicating the improving situation of the health sector in the state. In all, Rs 50 crore per annum is being spent in remote and inaccessible areas of the state for the purpose.

MMR has recorded 81 point reduction from 303 in 2006 to 222 in 2013.

IMR has come down by 24 points from 75 in 2005 to 51 in 2013.

Rotavirus vaccine

Odisha will be among the four states in the country where the rotavirus vaccine has been introduced recently under the Central government’s routine immunisation programme for protecting children from diarrhoea, in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The government, along with Unicef, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other stakeholders, have launched the rotavirus vaccination programme and an estimated 8.53 lakh children under the age of one year will be administered the vaccine annually. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has thanked the Foundation saying: “I thank the Gates Foundation for their active interest in Odisha. A robust partnership of the state government with the Foundation will benefit those in need.”

 

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