Convergence Meeting with Health Officials organised by Tata Steel Foundation at Danagadi

Kalinganagar, July 27, 2024: In a bid to improve preventive healthcare initiatives for the rural and
tribal communities in and around Kalingangar, Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) organised a vital
'Convergence Meeting’ with the District Health officials of Jajpur at the Community Health Centre
(CHC) in Danagadi on Friday. The meeting, which saw prominent participation from the frontline
health workers, was aimed at discussing the enhancement of public health programmes in the
region.
The workshop was attended by more than 80 health officials including Block Health Officials,
Community Health Officers (CHOs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Accredited Social Health
Activists (ASHAs), and members of the Foundation’s Public Health Division.
The event was attended by Dr Sibasish Maharana, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Jajpur,
Dr Jyotiranjan Mahapatra, Medical Officer in Charge, CHC Danagadi, Mr Sudhir Kumar Mehta,
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL), Dr
Jyotiranjan Rout, District Epidemiologist, Jajpur, Nandiniprabha Lenka, Child Development Project
Officer (CDPO), Jajpur and Medical Officers (MOs) of Gobardhanpur, and Jakhapura.
The objective of the meeting was to hold discussions around emergent health issues rampant in
the region, implementable change-based solutions for communities, and carving an avenue for
holistic collaboration. The key highlight of the discussion was to work on the ‘Non-Communicable
Diseases’ (NCD) and ‘Vector-borne Diseases’ (VBD) in the area with a focused and rigorous
approach, identify prevalent cases of diabetes mellitus and hypertension amongst rural
communities for seamless entry into the Government’s official NCD portal. Similarly, the
identification of severe cases of malnutrition amongst children, their referral to the Nutrition
Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), and an increase in awareness through targeted IEC activities were
some of the other highlights that emerged out of the discussion and are poised for implementation
within the Sukinda and Danagadi blocks of Kalinganagar in the coming days.
Additionally, avenues for collaboration were explored to leverage adolescent health and
preventable blindness through Tata Steel Foundation’s ‘Regional Initiative for Safe Sexual Health
by Today's Adolescents’ (RISHTA) Project and ‘Project Drishti’.
“Joint initiatives between the Government institutions and TSF are crucial for leveraging the status
of healthcare in the rural hamlets of Kalinganagar. By combining resources and expertise, the idea
is to co-create and implement transformative healthcare solutions that not only enhance the quality

of life but ensure medical aid is made accessible for all communities," said Dr Anuj Bhatnagar,
Head of Public Health, Tata Steel Foundation.
Efforts such as these, conducted in collaboration with communities and government institutions
further highlight the Foundation’s commitment to co-create transformative solutions while instilling
health-seeking behaviour amidst rural and tribal communities and enhancing public health systems
in rural and tribal regions of Odisha.