Orissa to open medical colleges in district headquarters

Bhubaneswar, Sep 7 (UNI) The Orissa government today decided to open medical colleges in every district headquarters to tide over the shortage of doctors in the state.

In the first phase, medical colleges would be opened in Mayurbhanj, Bolangir, Koraput, Kalahandi and Rourkela.

The decision was taken at a review meeting of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.

Briefing newspersons after the meeting, Minister for Health Duryodhan Majhi said the funding for the colleges would be made by the NRHM and the state government.

The meeting also resolved to launch Janani Surakshya Bahini (JSB) in six selected districts to improve the Maternity Mortality Rate, mobile medical units in every district and organise health camps to provide health care services to people.

It also decided to start malaria control programme in Public Private Partnership.

Mr Majhi said the construction of quarters for doctors on priority basis would be taken up first, involving the state and national construction agencies for expeditious completion of the construction. He said Rs 55 crore had been sanctioned for construction and repairing of the quarters this year.

The minister said under the NRHM launched in April 2005, 43,000 Asha workers had been imparted training to bring down the Maternity Mortality Rate. The NRHM programme, a seven-year programme was launched to support infrastructure framework, provide technical assistance, impart training and assist to capacity building.

The government, he said, had set a target to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate from 75 to 50 and the Maternity Mortality Rate from 358 to 100 per thousand by 2010.

The Health Minister said last year the state received Rs 150 crore under the NRHM programme but this year it received only Rs 90 crore against a proposal for Rs 400 crore. Mr Majhi said while in 2006-07, the entire funding for the programme was met by the Centre, the state government would bear 15 per cent in 2007-08.

UNI