Odisha inks MoU for 102 digital dispensaries across 23 districts

In remote areas of Odisha, where it is often difficult for people to access doctors, especially for minor ailments, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led government has harnessed the power of technology to bring the services of an MBBS doctor and primary healthcare to the doorsteps of the people through digital dispensaries.

Odisha government on Tuesday signed a MoU with Glocal Healthcare Systems for operation and management of 102 digital dispensaries across 23 districts.

Each digital dispensary has provision for an MBBS doctor consultation through video conference facility. In addition, a pharmacist, nurse, laboratory assistant and support staff are in place in each dispensary.

The dispensaries are equipped with a minimum set of investigations such as routine testing of urine, blood, haemoglobin, blood sugar, malaria, dengue, BP, ECG, sPO2, pregnancy detection, etc. and a pharmacy facility with dispensing of generic medicine. All these services are provided free of cost to the people, under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana.

In the pilot phase, the project was implemented in 25 locations of Nabarangpur district and five locations of Keonjhar district, in partnership mode with Glocal Healthcare Systems (P) Ltd. Till date, over one lakh patients have availed services from these digital dispensaries.

In view of the success of the digital dispensaries in the pilot phase, the Government of Odisha has decided to scale up the model to another 102 locations across 23 districts of Odisha, namely Angul, Balasore, Baragarh,Bolangir, Boudh, Cuttack, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Sundargarh. The locations of these dispensaries are in remote areas where the population does not have easy access to a doctor.

On Tuesday, Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha signed an agreement with M/s Glocal Healthcare Systems (P) Ltd. for 23 districts for Operation and Management of 102 digital dispensaries in the presence of Patnaik.

It is believed that this will bring primary health services to the doorsteps of the people in difficult to reach areas of the state, helping the government in fulfilling vision of a "Healthy Odisha - Happy Odisha".