TNI Bureau: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the new 650-bed teaching hospital building of Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada and launched development projects worth more than ₹430 crore in Mayurbhanj district.
The Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 39 projects covering sectors such as healthcare, drinking water, transport and public welfare. Of these, 21 projects worth over ₹282 crore were inaugurated, while foundation stones were laid for 18 projects worth more than ₹149 crore.
A major highlight of the programme was the inauguration of 83 drinking water projects built at a cost of nearly ₹100 crore, which are expected to address long-standing water supply issues in several parts of the district.
The newly inaugurated 650-bed teaching hospital, constructed at a cost of around ₹258 crore, is one of the largest healthcare infrastructure projects in northern Odisha. Equipped with modern medical facilities, advanced diagnostic services, specialist departments, emergency care and teaching infrastructure, the hospital is expected to emerge as a major referral centre for patients from Mayurbhanj, neighbouring districts, adjoining states and tribal regions.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the new hospital would significantly strengthen healthcare services in northern Odisha and ensure that people receive advanced treatment closer to their homes, reducing the need to travel to distant cities.
Interacting with medical students, CM described the medical profession as a sacred service and urged future doctors to dedicate themselves to serving the poor, tribal communities and people living in remote areas. He stressed that compassion and humane behaviour remain central to healthcare, saying no machine can understand a patient’s suffering the way a caring doctor can.
Highlighting the state’s healthcare expansion, the Chief Minister said that under the Ayushman Bharat–Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, 3.46 crore people from 1.30 crore families are receiving free treatment in empanelled hospitals. He also noted that new medical colleges have become operational in Jajpur, Kandhamal and Talcher, while more medical colleges are planned in Nabarangpur, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur and Bhadrak.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling said the new hospital would provide a major boost to healthcare infrastructure in Mayurbhanj and help transform the healthcare landscape of northern Odisha.
Several public representatives, including Mayurbhanj MP Naba Charan Majhi, local MLAs and senior officials, attended the programme.
