The Odisha government signed deals with private healthcare firms to establish five inexpensive multispecialty hospitals in the state.

 These hospitals, which will have 100 to 200 beds, will be built through a public-private partnership in Angul, Barbil, Bhadrak, and Jharsuguda, they said.

 According to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, this is a first-of-its-kind initiative by any state to establish healthcare facilities through PPP (public-private partnership).

 "Private healthcare operators play an important role in carrying out this mandate." As a result, we are promoting private investment in the health sector to establish institutions at the district level," he explained.

Stating that the development of healthcare infrastructure is a priority of his government, Patnaik said the state's Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana has been a great support for 1 crore families.