CAF urged for “Right to Health Bill “

   - demanded immediate operation of MIMSAR- 
By Bijay Mishra 
Angul , 30-03-2023 
While Talcher -Angul region emerged as the most critical polluted region of the country resulting unprecedented health disaster in the area , the utter negligence of the Government to open the much awaited Mahanadi Medical College at Talcher creat widespread resentment among the people . 
   “Though the Odisha government and the MCL inked an agreement in 2014 for Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (MIMSAR) at Talcher in Angul district and completed the development of infrastructure in 2018, still NIMSAR could not be started yet dut to negligence of Government . This has seriously affected the health service of this polluted region “ - told Mr Rabindra Prasad Pattanaik , President , “ Citizens Action Forum “
The MCL spent over Rs 500 crore to build the institution on 20 acres of land granted by the state government. The hospital will have 500 beds and the medical college will have 100 seats for MBBS admission per year. The MCL will also contribute funding to the medical college and hospital's services. 
   
Pollution level rises in in Angul due to activities involved in coal mining operation like excavation, loading, unloading and transportation on particulate matter-2.5 and particulate matter-10 in Talcher -Angul area . The concentration of particulate matters in air has a strong detrimental effect on human health particularly on respiratory tract . Coal Mining operation, thermal power plants, aluminum and steel plants, ancillary industries and constructions has led to significant degradation of the ambient air quality of Angul Talcher area. 
  “ Due to dust and air pollution, diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, fluorosis, bronchitis, thyroid and stomach ailments have become endemic. Failure “- told Mr Pattanaik . Mr Pattanaik urged the Government to immediately develop health infrastructure including operation of Medical college . 
  “ Apart from it , the State Government most come forward to implement “Right to Health Bill “ in which every resident of the state will have the right to emergency treatment and care "without prepayment" at any "public health institution, health care establishment and health care centers .”- told Mr Pattanaik