Aahar Centres Near Hospitals to Remain Open on Sundays

Bhubaneswar, June 26: Good news for the patient attendants, who are coming with their kin for treatment to hospitals across the State. Now, the Aahar Centres near hospitals will remain open on Sundays to help the poor and needy, who come to urban centres to avail basic and advanced health-care facilities.

The Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department of Government of Odisha in a notification has apprised all the municipal commissioners, district collectors and presidents of District Aahar Samitis to take immediate steps in this regard.

It can be mentioned here that Odisha has got 167 Aahar Centres and out of these 82 are situated on hospital premises. Out of these 82 Aahar Centres, 58 are having facilities to serve food at night. With these Aahar Centres patient attendants are extremely benefitted as they get subsidised food while spending a major part on their patient’s treatment process.

These 82 Aahar Centres on a day-to-day basis serve more than 48,000 people across Odisha. However, as the Aahar Centres remain closed on Sundays, they were facining problems and for this Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha has brought the attention of the H&UD Department. Considering all the aspects the H&UD Department has decided to keep the Aahar Centres (near hospitals) open on Sundays across Odisha.