Centre assures all assistance to Odisha health sector

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 19:

Union Health and Family Welfare minister Harsh Vardhan today assured the Odisha government of all possible assistance for the state health sector.

Briefing newsmen after his meeting with chief minister Naveen Patnaik, he said the Centre has decided to set up a satellite campus of AIIMS at Baleswar where a 300-bedded hospital would be set up.

To fulfill the dreams of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, efforts would be made to strengthen the infrastructure of the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar and make it a better than the AIIMS, New Delhi.

During the meeting, the chief minister urged the Union minister to take steps to open a geriatric centre at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

He also demanded more financial assistance for infrastructure development towards the allotment of more seats for the three government medical colleges and other private medical colleges of the state.

A nine-point charter of demands was presented to the  Union Health minister. The setting up of an institute like NIMHANS in the state and an allocation of Rs 500 crore for upgrading facilities at the three government run medical colleges figured in the list of demands.

Earlier in the day, the Union minister, accompanied by state Health and Family Welfare secretary PK Mohapatra, went around various wards and surgery units of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar and interacted with the doctors and director of the institute Dr Ashok Mohapatra.