Bhubaneswar: To enhance healthcare education in Odisha, the state government has announced plans to establish an ayurvedic medical college in Mayurbhanj district. This was revealed by Health & Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling during a session in the State Assembly.
The Minister confirmed that the state government is taking all necessary steps to make the establishment of the ayurvedic medical college a reality. “An ayurvedic medical college will be set up in Mayurbhanj district. The state government is committed to making this a reality,” Mahaling stated, adding that the initiative will help strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in the region.
In addition to this, Mahaling shared that the government is actively working to address the shortage of doctors in the state. An advertisement has been issued for the recruitment of 5,248 MBBS doctors to fill vacant positions and strengthen the healthcare workforce.
Odisha currently has 16,918 hospital beds, which is significantly lower than the required 34,000. To bridge this gap, the government plans to add 17,000 new hospital beds in the near future to improve healthcare access for the population.
The Health Minister also reiterated the government’s commitment to establishing a medical college in every district of the state. “Two new medical colleges will be opened this year as part of this vision,” he added, further emphasizing the government’s focus on improving medical education and healthcare services across Odisha.
In a major policy shift, the Odisha government has decided to discontinue the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), the health insurance scheme introduced by the previous government. The BJP-led administration has renamed the scheme as the Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana (GJAY) and integrated it with the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) of the Union Government to provide comprehensive health coverage to the people of Odisha.
