Bhubaneswar: The government of Odisha on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO) to enhance the quality of healthcare services across the state.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling. Officials said the partnership aims to deliver world-class healthcare services in critical areas such as nursing care, maternal and child health, non-communicable disease management, nutrition, and emergency obstetric care.
The MoU was formalised at Lok Seva Bhawan, where Special Secretary Santosh Mishra signed on behalf of the state government, while National Director Amit Shah represented Jhpiego.
Officials clarified that the agreement is service-oriented and does not involve any financial transaction. It is focused on the exchange of technical expertise and knowledge to improve healthcare delivery systems.
Mahaling said the collaboration would strengthen cooperation between the state government and JHPIEGO across several domains. He noted that the partnership would provide technical support in healthcare planning, policy formulation and analysis, while also enabling the adoption of global best practices tailored to Odisha’s needs.
He further stated that the initiative would help improve the quality of healthcare services through enhanced training systems, capacity building of trainers, and wider use of digital and e-learning platforms, including simulation-based training.
Senior officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department, including Secretary S Aswathy, participated in the meeting. Deputy Secretary Aruna Tripathy coordinated the event and delivered the vote of thanks.
