Essar Foundation, with its commitment to bringing about substantive change in the lives of people, found yet another opportunity to contribute to the development in the poorest and tribal dominated Telkoi Block of Keonjhar, Odisha. In this area where access and quality of health care services are poor, extending improved secondary health care services in an effective manner is a substantial intervention. Towards this, Essar recently signed a MoU with the district administration of Keonjhar to adopt the government Community Health Center (CHC) at Telkoi.
The MoU was signed on 17 July 2013, during the visit of Mr. Naveen Pattnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha to Keonjhar. It was signed between Mr. Bishnu Prasad Sahoo, Collector-Cum-Chairman, Zilla Swasthya Samiti, Keonjhar and Mr. Rajendra Kr. Mittal, Chief Executive Officer, Essar Steel India Ltd, Odisha operations, in the presence of Dr. Damodar Rout, Health & Family Welfare Minister, Government of Odisha, at Circuit House in Keonjhar.
Other dignitaries who were present include Badri Narayan Patra, Higher Education Minister; Niranjan Pujari, Excise Minister; Er. Subarna Nayak, MLA, Keonjhar; and Pramod Gupta, Head- Projects, Essar Odisha operations.
The CHC will provide healthcare services to the entire population in 149 villages of 20 gram panchayats of Telkoi Block. With a total outlay of Rs.2.11 crore over a period of five years, major intervention points are that of providing pediatric specialist services, full-time laboratory technicians, a hospital manager, security personnel, attendant-cum-sweepers, gardener, food catering to attendants of indoor patients, hospital lighting, medicines, advanced medical laboratory equipment, etc.
The process and implementation of the program will be documented and shared with the local Steering Committee consisting of Medical Officer-in-charge, local people’s representatives, and district and block administration, as well as district programme management of National Rural Health Mission. This MoU marks a significant step towards making quality health services available to the communities of one of the poorest blocks of Odisha.
