Bhubaneswar, 08 June (H.S.): In a major boost to healthcare and infrastructure development in northern Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday inaugurated the newly constructed 650-bed Teaching Hospital of Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada and launched development projects worth over ₹430 crore in Mayurbhanj district.

The Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 39 development projects spanning key sectors such as healthcare, drinking water, transportation, and public welfare. The projects involve a total investment of ₹430.26 crore aimed at strengthening the district’s infrastructure and improving public services.

Addressing the gathering, Majhi described the inauguration of the 650-bed Teaching Hospital as a historic milestone for Mayurbhanj and the entire northern Odisha region. Built at a cost of approximately ₹258 crore, the state-of-the-art healthcare facility is equipped with advanced diagnostic services, specialized medical departments, critical care units, emergency services, and modern teaching infrastructure.

The Chief Minister said the hospital would emerge as a major referral centre for northern Odisha and neighbouring regions, reducing the need for patients to travel to distant cities for advanced treatment. He noted that the facility would particularly benefit tribal communities and strengthen community health services, maternal and child healthcare, public health research, and health awareness initiatives.

Highlighting the state government's healthcare initiatives, Majhi said that under the Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, 3.46 crore beneficiaries from 1.30 crore families in Odisha are receiving free treatment at reputed government and private hospitals across the country.

He further stated that within 20 months of the current government assuming office, three new medical colleges have become operational in Jajpur, Kandhamal, and Talcher. Plans are also underway to establish medical colleges in Nabarangpur, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, and Bhadrak. Additionally, the government is taking steps to open three Ayurvedic Medical Colleges in Gajapati, Malkangiri, and Rayagada, along with two Homoeopathic Medical Colleges in Nayagarh and Nuapada.

During his visit, the Chief Minister interacted with medical students and urged them to view medicine not merely as a profession but as a sacred commitment to humanity. He called upon future doctors to dedicate themselves to serving the poor, tribal communities, and people living in remote and underserved areas.

“Technology and medical equipment cannot understand a patient’s pain. Compassion, empathy, and humane treatment by doctors remain the essence of healthcare,” Majhi said.

Speaking on the occasion, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia lauded the Chief Minister’s commitment to the development of Mayurbhanj. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling said the new teaching hospital would significantly strengthen healthcare infrastructure and transform the health landscape of northern Odisha.

Several public representatives, including MPs, MLAs, district officials, and senior government functionaries, attended the programme.

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda