Odishas Chief Minister Calls for Urgent Focus on Health, Nutrition, and Education

Bhubaneswar, October 8 (Daily Kiran) : Odisha’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stressed the need for a robust platform to identify and address complex social issues at the grassroots level. Speaking at a high-level meeting of the “Prayas” initiative, which aims to enhance governance in the social sector, he reviewed the operations of three key government departments: Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, and School and Mass Education.

During the meeting, Majhi stated, “A strong society can only be built through health, nutrition, and quality education.” He urged the departments to take more proactive measures to improve their performance, as these areas are closely linked to the basic needs of the people.

The Chief Minister advised the Health and Family Welfare department to implement stringent measures to reduce maternal mortality rates. He also directed the department to work in “mission mode” to decrease infant and neonatal mortality rates. Emphasizing the need for better healthcare services for pregnant women and newborns, particularly in rural and remote areas, he called for increased accountability among health workers and stronger emergency services at medical centers.

Majhi reviewed the issue of malnutrition among children, which includes stunting and wasting. He instructed officials to expedite the “Nourished Odisha Mission” campaign to tackle these problems and improve the health of mothers and children. He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the quality and monitoring of food and nutritional supplements provided to children through Anganwadi centers.

In the education sector, he urged the School and Mass Education department to strive to enhance the quality of basic education starting from the primary level. He emphasized that teachers should focus on teaching and the core functions of education to improve student learning outcomes.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Development Commissioner D.K. Singh, and senior officials from the three departments.