Bhubaneswar: In Odisha, 2473 Medical Officers have been inducted into the state medical services. 2392 of them are MBBS doctors, and 81 are Dental Surgeons. An orientation programme graced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was held at Kalinga Stadium today.
This induction of new Medical Officers will further strengthen the healthcare delivery system of the State.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that our objective is to see transformation in every sector, every region. He further said that this transformation should touch every individual’s life bringing a sense of advancement in all spheres of life. Healthcare is a priority area of our 5T transformative initiative.
Addressing the new doctors, he said that as young doctors, they can contribute immensely to this drive. Just ensure; he said, every patient feels a positive vibe when he or she visits you. Along with your professional excellence, your humane approach to patients can create confidence in them.
He further said, “Remember that every pie spent on our salary, or for the building we are working in, is paid by the people of Odisha. We are here to serve them.”
Welcoming the doctors to the state’s healthcare system, he congratulated the family members of the new doctors. He said that along with the successful candidates, their family members have also made immense sacrifices for your success.
He said that his Government is committed to providing universal access to quality healthcare services to all. Our objective is Sustha Odisha, Sukhi Odisha. He added that our guiding principle to achieve this objective is ‘every life is precious’.
In realisation of this goal, he continued, we are on a mission for massive infrastructure development in our healthcare institutions. We are producing 8 times more doctors now than two decades ago. We will come up with more medical colleges in a few years from now, he assured.
He further said that we are also making recruitments for medical and para-medical officers on a large scale. In the current year alone, we have recruited 3600 medical officers. In November, nearly 4000 nursing officers have also joined the state government, he informed.
He further said that to improve the quality of healthcare and achieve a desirable patient experience, we are converting our hospitals to ‘Ama Hospitals’. Patient care in all government facilities is completely free of cost.
It may be mentioned here that Due to the high priority given by the State Government to the Health Sector, in the past 6 years 8 new Medical Colleges and 2 new Post Graduate Institutes have been established in the State. This has resulted in the production of 2525 MBBS doctors and 856 Specialists each year, making Odisha a doctor surplus State.
The Chief Minister also distributed high-quality stethoscopes to each of the newly recruited Medical Officers and Dental Kit to newly recruited Dental Surgeons. The Medical Officers have been posted to different districts through a transparent merit-based online counselling system.
Joining the programme, Health Minister Niranjan Pujari said that we are always keen to provide quality healthcare to the people. Under the able leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, we have made significant declines in IMR and MMR creating major milestones at the national level.
5T Chairman VK Pandian said that as doctors, you are the partners of a new Odisha, Odisha of Hon’ble CM’s vision. Odisha is witnessing transformation in all major sectors like Health, Education, Food Security, Agriculture and many other fields. Saying that health issues are a major bottleneck in the economic growth of a family, he explained that just by finding solutions to health issues of people, we can transform the economic health of families in the state.
Two new recruits, Dr Anmol Mohapatra and Dr Ajit Rath, sharing their experiences, said that the entire recruitment process has been transparent and fast bringing smiles to all of us.
Health Secretary Shalini Pandit delivered the welcome address, and Director Dr Bijoy Mohapatra proposed the vote of thanks.
