Dikhyaa Mohanty 
During the Assembly session on Monday, Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahalinga unveiled a comprehensive strategy aimed at bolstering the state’s healthcare infrastructure. “We have planned to open a second All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Sambalpur,” Mahalinga stated, highlighting the government’s commitment to providing high-quality healthcare for everyone. We will speak with the Central Government about this shortly.
“After the Supreme Court’s directive, we have formed a task force under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to ensure the safety of doctors. This task force will focus on the security of working doctors. Our government is committed to the safety of all working doctors. With this in mind, plans are afoot to open a police outpost in each medical college. In a bid to ensure faster access to emergency medical services, the ambulance arrival time will be reduced from 30 minutes to 20 minutes” said the Health Minister condemning the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital incident.
Mahaling was informed that free dialysis programs will be offered in 55 health centers throughout the state as part of the government’s commitment to providing access to affordable healthcare. The goal of the Odisha government’s Veer Surendra Sai Divya Drishti initiative is to offer the public comprehensive healthcare services. To alleviate the shortfall of medical personnel, new medical colleges as well as new nursing colleges will be established in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Koraput, Puri, and Jajpur, as announced by the Health Minister.
The Minister further declared that 27,000 hospitals in Odisha will be accredited under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which will help the state. Every gram panchayat headquarters will have an Ayushmann Arogya Mandir set up by the government, complete with yoga instructors and medical personnel. In addition, the government intends to roll out digital health services that would let patients receive care from a distance.
