State to produce 1000 doctors a year

BHUBANESWAR: The State is all set to produce more than 1,000 doctors per year as two more Government Medical Colleges are expected to take admission in MBBS courses from this academic session. Of the nine medical colleges planned by the State Government, while two at Koraput and Baripada are already functional since last year, the institutions at Balasore and Balangir will start operating soon. Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena said two Government Medical Colleges at Puri and Keonjhar are under construction and three institutions are being set up under PPP mode at Sundargarh, Angul and Kalahandi.

“The number of seats in the Staterun medical colleges will increase to 1,050 from 2018-19 session. However, as many as 1,550 seats will be available after completion of all new medical colleges. This apart, 400 doctors are being graduated from private medical colleges in the State every year,” he said. Left neglected for decades, health sector has been the area of focus for Naveen Patnaik Government, which has launched a host of welfare schemes to ensure universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care.

Recently, the Chief Minister launched four major schemes - Nirmal, Sunetra, Sampurna Surakhya Kavach and Sahay - which are aimed at reaching out to people even in remote corners of the State. With an annual outlay of Rs 120 crore, while the Nirmal scheme will help upgrade standards of ancillary services including sanitation, hygiene and security, Sahaya will extend free dialysis to kidney patients in all district headquarters hospitals. With an annual expenditure of Rs 11 crores, 25 district headquarters hospitals have been included along with Narasingpur CHC in Cuttack district under the Sahay.

As many as 127 dialysis units will be set up with an annual target to perform over one lakh dialysis under the scheme. Retinopathy for diabetics, life-long Glaucoma treatment and other eye care facilities will be available free of cost under the flagship Sunetra scheme, which aims at expediting universal eye care. The State has planned to spend Rs 600 crore in next five years. With the BJD dispensation emphasising on health coverage for all, budgetary provision has been increased from Rs 5,781 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 6,181 crore in 2018-19 to make healthcare more competent and effective. The Sapurna Surakhya Kabach scheme aims at providing kits for the mother and newborn.

With an annual allocation of Rs 69 crore, the scheme will benefit more than five lakh mothers and children. Under the Khusi scheme launched recently, free sanitary napkins are being provided to around 17 lakh girls studying in Government and aided schools. Similarly, the Government has begun free medical tests under Nidaan scheme since January. With an investment of Rs 100 crore, 15 types of diagnostic facilities including CT scan, MRI and digital X-Ray are being made available under PPP mode to the people across the districts. “Our free medicine scheme Niramaya, free chemotherapy for cancer patients at all district headquarters hospitals, malaria control programme Daman and free ambulance service have been appreciated much. We are committed for successful implementation of these programmes through active participation of health functionaries at all the levels,” Jena added.