What is your plan for the healthcare sector?We want to promote startups in the healthcare sector. The startups will try to solve real-world problems in the health sector. They can make indigenous low-cost quality equipment for hospitals. A startup meet will be held on this very soon. I want to work on this matter seriously.Odisha govt has built a supportive ecosystem for healthcare and life sciences startups through targeted policies, funding, and infrastructure. Odisha has set up O-Hub in Bhubaneswar to promote startups. The Odisha Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Policy framed last year designates MedTech and pharmaceuticals as thrust sectors, encouraging local innovation and manufacturing. The state-led scouting campaigns and public-private partnerships in regional hospitals provide startups with vital clinical testing environments, positioning Odisha as an emerging health innovation hub in eastern India.There is a lot of focus on yoga…The state plans to establish a State Yoga Council and District Yoga Councils to promote yoga at the village level. A yoga institute will also be set up for research and teaching. Yoga teachers will be appointed in each panchayat to train people in rural areas.The cancer burden is growing…We started the Mukhyamantri Cancer Care Yojana (MCCY) in 2026-27 and sanctioned Rs 311 crore for this. Around 91 cancer packages have been included in Ayushman Bharat PMJAY and G-JAY schemes. We are also taking several steps for screening and detection of cancer. An HPV-free vaccination programme has been started. We will roll out cancer screening vehicles to screen people for cancer. Machines, including mammography, will be there in the screening vehicles to continue the programme.There is a shortage of doctors in rural hospitals. How do you plan to address this?We have launched a major recruitment drive to strengthen healthcare services at the grassroots level. So far, over 6,000 doctors and paramedics have been appointed. Recently, 844 doctors were recruited, and 744 more will be appointed soon. More than 5,900 nurses will also join hospitals shortly. Additional doctors and paramedics will be recruited in phases.What is the current status on upgrading hospitals?We have five premier medical institutions — SCB MCH Cuttack, MKCG MCH Berhampur, Vimsar Burla, RGH Rourkela and Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar. We are spending Rs 7,000 crore for redevelopment of these hospitals. Work on SCB is underway, and the first phase will be completed soon. The tendering process for Vimsar and MKCG has been started. Work on the other two hospitals will start soon. Centres of excellence will come up for better healthcare. This infrastructure will immensely help the people of Odisha get good healthcare facilities.