No user fee at health centres from August 15  

BHUBANESWAR:  The State Government has issued guiding principles to provide free services at public health facilities from August 15. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had declared to provide free services at public health centres while announcing the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) on June 12. Accordingly, the Health and Family Welfare department has asked all Collectors and Commissioners of all Municipal Corporations to waive user fees of any form (except cabin charges) at State-run health facilities.
Health Secretary Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda said as the State is gearing up to provide free healthcare services, user fees of any form except cabin charges will be waived at sub-centres, PHCs, UPHCs, CHCs, UCHCs, SDHs and district headquarters hospitals (DHHs).

“Funds have been allocated to the public health centres under Nidaan scheme to supplement loss of user fees at `5 per patient. In addition, `2 per out-patient and `50 per in-patient is being allocated as institutional development cost for ensuring free services,” he said.    The guideline stated that the total number of new and old patients coming to health centres (for both allopathic and AYUSH treatment) and immunisation besides the ante natal care services will be treated as out-patients while those who have stayed for at least 24 hours or overnight will be dealt as in-patients. The funds will be released under State Budget to the districts and cities on normative basis and would be released to respective Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) basing on their out-patient and in-patient load of the preceding year.

The health centres have also been advised to follow the guidelines for strengthening quality of service delivery so as to promote zero out-of-pocket expenditure. The health centres can utilise the funds on medical consumables, strengthening logistics, patient amenities and welfare, awareness activities through display and signages at hospitals, supplementing hospital maintenance cost, Niramaya, Nirmal, Nidaan, Sahay and other free services, minor civil works and provisioning of attendants at critical care units as per RKS guideline.   The public health centres, however, cannot utilise funds for engagement of manpower on contract or daily wage basis, procurement of vehicle, major civil works and administrative expenditure.