Bhubaneswar: The Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, inaugurated the 61st All India Congress of Obstetrics & Gyneacology (AICOG) 2018 International Convention, here on Thursday.
The five-day Convention is being organized by Association of Obesterians and Gyneacologists of Odisha (AOGO) under the auspicious of FOGSI. The Convention is attended by over 800 delegates from across the India and the world. Besides seminars and workshops, other activities like exhibition and cultural will filled in the days.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister urged the delegates to frame a state specific action plan to accelerate reduction of IMR & MMR under SAMMPURNA scheme. He sought their unstinted support for effective implementation of various government programmes.
Patnaik said that the state has made significant stride in institutional delivery as per the National Family Health Survey(NFHS). The institutional delivery has increased from 22.6% in 1998-1999 to 85.4% in 2015 which is better than national average of 78.9%. The increase in institution delivery during this period is second highest in the country next to Sikkim only.
Fully immunisation coverage among children has increased substantially and Odisha has jumped from 16th rank in 2000 to 5th rank in 2015-16.
“Indeed, Odisha has made spectacular achievement with 56 point decline in Infant Mortality Rate(IMR) from 96 in 2000 to 40 in 2015-16 which is better than the national average of 41. This is the highest decline in IMR in the country and far better than the national average decline of 27 points. This reduction in IMR translates into 51,000 more children being save annually. Likewise, Under- 5 mortality rate has been reduced from 104 to 49 per 1000 live birth, which is also better than the national average of 50. Since 2000 Odisha has recorded 202 points reduction in MMR which is better than the national average of 160 points.”
” Under MAMATA scheme over 30 lakh pregnant women have been benefited till today”, he said adding, ” I am happy that success of this scheme has inspired a similar scheme at the national level.”
Patnaik said these achievements have been made possible because of doctors, para-medics and extension functionaries . ” Our enabled policies coupled with sustained effort toward effective implementation of schemes like Janani Surakhya Yojana, Niramaya, and dedicated ambulance services played a key role in achieving these feats, he added.
The chief minister said that to improve availability of doctors in the state, the government is planning to open at least seven new medical colleges. Out of these seven, two new medical colleges at Koraput and Baripada haven been completed. Since 2010, the state government has recruited 5000 doctors and is in the process of hiring the services of another 2000 doctors, Patnaik said.
