By Our Correspondent
SAMBALPUR: To build a developed Sambalpur and a developed Odisha, we have to give priority to health, education, sanitation, drinking water and employment. This should not just be a government scheme, but should become a social mass movement, said Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
On Friday, Shri Pradhan attended the “District ASHA, Village Welfare Committee and Women Health Committee Conference” organized at the auditorium of Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur and discussed in detail on “Group Support in Health Services”. In this program organized by Sambalpur District Health Committee, he directly interacted with ASHA sisters and members of the committee, listened to their experiences and received important suggestions for the overall development of the region.
Shri Pradhan said, our ‘ASHA’ sisters and members of ‘Gaan Kalyan Samiti’ are real soldiers in the field of development and public health protection of Sambalpur. He described the ASHA workers as the ‘Rani Jhansi’ of the society. He said that whenever a pregnant mother needs help or when it is time for a child’s vaccination, the first thing that comes to mind is the ASHA sister. The contribution of ASHA workers in reducing maternal and child mortality is unparalleled.
The dedication of around 1078 ASHA Didis who provide door-to-door services to around 1.5 million people and 3 lakh families in Sambalpur district is commendable. The great proof of how effective the work of our ASHA Didis is is Yamuna Mani Singh of Balasore Nilagiri. In 2015, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi highly appreciated her dedicated service in his Mann Ki Baat program. Today, this ‘Vana Malli’ has brought the respect of ASHA workers from all over Odisha to the national level.
Shri Pradhan further said that the strength of health services in rural areas is the Village Welfare Committee. The role of this committee is important in maintaining sanitation, clean drinking water and overall health. You are the strong bridge that reaches the government schemes to the common people. On the call of the Honorable Prime Minister, we have to build ‘Developed Odisha’ and ‘Developed India’. For this, it is necessary to bring changes in the health, education, sanitation and drinking water sectors and give priority to employment. Shri Pradhan has called for efforts to make this a ‘People’s Movement’ to change the cleanliness and lifestyle of Sambalpur.
Odisha’s Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Rabi Narayan Naik, was a prominent present at the event.
