Odisha Signs 10 MoUs to Boost Healthcare, Medical Education and Research Across State

Bhubaneswar: In a major push to expand healthcare services and modernise the state’s medical ecosystem, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department on Tuesday entered into 10 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading national and international organisations. The partnerships are aimed at improving healthcare delivery, medical education, research, diagnostic services and health infrastructure across Odisha.

The agreements were signed at Kharavela Bhavan in Bhubaneswar in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling. Senior  government officials, representatives of partner institutions and key stakeholders attended the event, including Health Department Principal Secretary Aswathy S and National Health Mission Managing Director Brunda D.

Describing the occasion as a landmark moment for the department, Mahaling said the collaborations have been forged under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi with the objective of strengthening healthcare across multiple sectors in the state.

Among the key initiatives announced is a collaboration with the Centre for Emergency and Trauma Care at AIIMS New Delhi, which will support the development of a district headquarters medical college as a Centre of Excellence for Trauma Care while also helping strengthen trauma care services throughout Odisha.

The state has also partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to develop a climate-smart drug warehouse network. Officials said the initiative is expected to improve the storage and management of medicines through resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

Children’s healthcare forms another major focus of the agreements. The Health Department said it will organise free heart disease screening camps in remote parts of Odisha. Under a separate partnership with Amrita Hospital, Kochi, children diagnosed with congenital heart disease will receive free surgeries, interventional cardiac procedures, post-operative care and follow-up treatment.

To improve support services for patients’ families, the Seva Daan Aarogya Foundation, backed by the Adani Group, will establish attendants’ rest houses at six government medical colleges and hospitals. The facilities are intended to provide safe and convenient accommodation for relatives accompanying patients during treatment.

The MoU with the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) seeks to promote healthcare rooted in Indian knowledge systems and Ayurveda. Meanwhile, Gujarat-based I-Hub will work with the state to encourage innovation, nurture startups and introduce modern teaching methodologies in medical education.

Another agreement signed with the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) aims to secure accreditation for laboratories in district headquarters hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals, a move expected to improve the quality and reliability of diagnostic services.

The department also signed separate agreements with the Tata Steel Foundation and the Kaivalya Education Foundation under Project Swasth to reinforce healthcare services, research capabilities and institutional infrastructure across Odisha.

Coinciding with the signing ceremony, the upgraded Tele-MANAS facility at the Mental Health Institute of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack was virtually inaugurated. The enhanced centre is expected to improve access to mental health counselling, psychological support and specialist guidance through telephone-based services, particularly benefiting people living in remote parts of the state.

The 10 MoUs were signed with Gujarat’s I-Hub, Antara Foundation, the All India Institute of Ayurveda, Adani Group’s Seva Daan Aarogya Foundation, Health System Transformation Platform, AIIMS New Delhi’s Centre for Emergency and Trauma Care, Amrita Hospital in Kochi, the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, the International Finance Corporation, Tata Steel Foundation and the Kaivalya Education Foundation under Project Swasth. Through these collaborations, the state government aims to accelerate improvements in healthcare delivery while strengthening Odisha’s medical education, research ecosystem and public health infrastructure.