Naba Kishore Das sets 100-day target

BHUBANESWAR: Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das has set a 100-day target for implementation and completion of various ongoing programmes and projects.Das reviewed health programmes and schemes in the Secretariat here on Friday. He advised the officials to strengthen the delivery mechanism and work on the promises made in the election manifesto of BJD to ensure that most of these are fulfilled in a fixed time limit.

The BJD had promised to issue universal health cards to all Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) beneficiaries, complete work on five new Government Medical Colleges within next three years, fill all existing posts of paramedics on priority and create new posts and make all appointments of paramedic cadre on a permanent basis.

The poll manifesto also promised to open nursing and ANM training schools in all 314 blocks, make Odisha a doctor surplus State, set up three state-of-the-art super specialty hospitals, one each at SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack, MKCG at Berhampur and VIMSAR at Burla.
These apart, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also promised to hike medical assistance for women under BSKY from the existing `7 lakh to `10 lakh. The Health Minister said the Chief Minister, at the meeting of Council of Ministers on Wednesday, has asked to involve members of women self help groups (SHGs) in different works.

Das directed the officials to prepare Health Policy 2020 and Vision Document 2025, addressing all healthcare and infrastructure needs. “Our first priority will be filling up vacancies and to provide healthcare in a time-bound manner. BSKY is a revolutionary scheme which has been successfully implemented. The next focus is on distribution of health cards to all beneficiaries and it will be done soon. I will review the progress every 100 days,” he told reporters.
Health Secretary Dr Pramod Meherda, Special Secretaries Sarat Sahu and BK Brahma and Joint Secretary Yamini Sarangi were present.

On fast track

The Minister directs officials to prepare Health Policy 2020 and Vision Document 2025, addressing all healthcare and infrastructure needs
Health officials asked to work on the promises made in the election manifesto
of BJD