Odisha's health Budget doubled in 3 years, gets 358 more doctors: Patnaik

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said on Friday that the state health budget doubled in the past three years as his government was committed to provide universal access to quality medical services.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Friday that the state health budget doubled in the past three years as his government was committed to provide universal access to quality medical services.

The budget provision during the 2019-20 financial year was more than Rs 6,800 crore and it rose to over Rs 12,000 crore this fiscal, Patnaik said.

"This is more than six per cent of the state plan," Patnaik said during a virtual interaction with new medical officers in the Loka Seba Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

He underlined that the objective was to provide quality, universal access and affordable healthcare by bringing down expenses.

At least 358 allopathic and 116 homoeopathic medical officers as well as 36 homoeopathic lecturers joined the health department.

Patnaik hoped that these appointments would make the healthcare system more robust and effective.