Odisha CM meets Health Minister, urges release of funds for five new medical colleges

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda here and said that works relating to five new medical colleges at Baripada, Koraput, Balasore, Bolangir and Puri were continuing.He informed that medical colleges at Baripada and Koraput would start their first batch admission from the ensuing 2017-18 session.

He said Odisha had received only Rs 170 crore till date as against the committed central share of Rs 567 crore for these colleges and urged the Health Minister to release the balance share of Rs 397 crore at the earliest.Mr Patnaik also highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the state for strengthening cancer care including cancer chemotherapy programme at 15 district headquarter hospitals. He also impressed upon Mr Nadda to initiate necessary steps for early establishment of the Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences at Bhubaneswar.

Mr Nadda while appreciating Mr Patnaik's for his efforts to improve the health sector in the state and said that adequate provision had been kept in the budget for 2017-18 for new medical colleges and the balance Central share of Rs 397 crore will be released at the earliest. Mr Patnaik also said that the state has achieved the highest rate of decline in infant mortality rate, which had fallen from 96 per thousand live births in 2000 to 40 in the year 2015-16, and was better than the national average of 41. Moreover, Odisha had achieved a sharp increase in institutional deliveries to 85 per cent, up from 35 percent in the last survey, the Chief Minister added.

The Health and Family Welfare Minister appreciated the Odisha government in improving various health indices and overall health of the people of the state and assured that the concerns raised by Mr Patnaik would be addressed on priority and that every effort would be made by the Centre to support and supplement the state's efforts in improving the critical health infrastructure and out reach of health services in the state.The Central Government had already approved a State Level Cancer Care Centre at Cuttack at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore adding that financial assistance for three other Tertiary Cancer Centres at the rate of Rs 45 crore per centre will be provided at the earliest at VSS Medical College & Hospital, Burla, MKCG Medical College & Hospital, Berhampur and District Headquarter Hospital, Kalahandi.