HEALTH INDICATORS IN ALL 10 DISTRICTS OF SOUTH ODISHA WORST IN STATE

A meeting-cum-workshop of the district Collectors and CDMOs of south Odisha was held in Berhampur on Friday to evolve suitable mechanisms for strengthening the health indicators of these districts. The meeting, presided over by RDC (Southern) Bikash Chandra Mahapatra, was attended by Collectors and Chief District Medical Officers of 10 districts.

Among others, Secretary of Health & FW Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, NRHM Director of Roopa Mishra and Special Secretary of Health Nalinikanta Das participated in the meeting. The workshop discussed formulation of suitable mechanisms to strengthen and revamp the health indicators which are dormant in these districts compared to the State’s other districts.

South Odisha 

Among other issues, how to reduce the infant and maternal mortality rates figured prominently. The State Government has evolved a three-year action plan under which district Collectors are directed to review the works of the officers of the concerned departments on these issues and submit their progress reports every month.

Health Secretary Mohapatra told the media that the conditions of health indicators of the southern districts are worse compared to all other districts. The Collectors and CDMOs of the districts were adkec to find out the reasons behind the high infant and maternal mortality rates. They were also instructed to ensure effective implementation of the immunisation, delivery, family planning programmes to achieve the target of Millennium Gold-2017.

He informed that the State Finance Department and the MCI have agreed to increase the intake of the MKCG Medical College from 200 to 250 MBBS students from the coming academic session. The MKCG is soon going to have a Super Speciality Block at a cost of `350 crore out of which the State would pay `150 crore. L&T has been entrusted the work which is to be completed in 18 months.

About the Government’s failure to check Gutkha, Mahapatra said that only one Gutkha unit, which was in operation in Brahmapur, has been sealed and the Commercial Tax Department has been asked to keep a strict vigil on check-gates as Gutkha is being illegally pushed to Odisha from other States.

The firms producing water pouch without permission would face action, he cautioned. He was shocked to know from the scribes that there are about 100 such firms operating illegally in Brahmapur. Source: The Pioneer