# Odisha health conclave flags mobile screen-time as mental health risk 2026-08-25T01:56:41+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Monday flagged rising screen-time as a health risk at the third edition of the OTV Health & Wellness Conclave 2026 in Bhubaneswar, where experts discussed robotic surgery, mental stress and digital healthcare. The minister said Odisha citizens average two-and-a-half hours of daily screen use, urging awareness drives to counter adverse effects of mobile phone overuse. Held at Hotel Swosti Premium, the conclave brought together senior doctors from multiple specialties for panel discussions on causes, symptoms and prevention of diseases including cancer and autism. Women's health, motherhood and state health schemes were also deliberated. Students from educational institutions joined the event to engage with healthcare professionals on contemporary health issues. Mahaling, who also holds the IT portfolio, said the awareness-driven event can reach people on basic health issues. OTV, as the organising media house, aims to address emerging health challenges facing the state in coming days. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Odisha's focus on screen-time comes as the state pushes digital governance under its e-Governance policy, yet public health infrastructure in rural areas remains a concern. The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16 pegged the prevalence of mental disorders in Odisha at 10.5% of adults, with treatment gaps exceeding 80% for common conditions. The H&FW Ministry's own data shows only 0.95 psychiatrists per lakh population in the state, against a recommended norm of 3. The conclave's next test will be whether the minister's awareness push translates into measurable allocations in the state health budget for 2026-27, when the annual estimates are tabled in March. ## Coverage - odishatv.in leads with government minister's attendance and praise, no critical questioning or failure mentioned This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: mental health, Mukesh Mahaling, Odisha, OTV, robotic surgery Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-health-conclave-flags-mobile-screen-time-as-mental-health-risk/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-health-conclave-flags-mobile-screen-time-as-mental-health-risk/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/