BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gifted a health care scheme for the people of Odisha on the occasion of 72nd Independence Day. Naveen launched Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), which aims at benefiting nearly 70 lakh families across the State, by distributing letters signed by him among the beneficiaries on Wednesday.
While BSKY ensures cashless health coverage of `5 lakh per beneficiary family, Naveen had enhanced it to `7 lakh for women after Mamata Padiami from Kalimela area of Malkangiri district requested him to increase the assistance during ‘Ama Gaon Ama Bikash’ programme. After launching the scheme at Capital Hospital here, Naveen termed it as a historic initiative to boost public health care in the State.
“The scheme will provide free health services to nearly 4.5 crore people and have a great impact on the health care scenario of the State,” he said. All beneficiaries currently enrolled under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BKKY) as well as other low-income families will be covered under BSKY. The health protection provided under BSKY, which covers nearly nine lakh more families than the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme of the Centre, can be availed in all public health facilities and empanelled private health facilities in the State.
The CM’s letter to the beneficiaries read: “My Government has been continuously striving to extend quality health care. We have successfully launched Niramaya, Nidaan and Sahay schemes to provide free medicine, diagnosis, dialysis services and chemotherapy at district level. In 2014 I had promised that no poor family in Odisha will be denied medical treatment because of financial constraints. I dedicate the BSKY to them.”
District collectors have been asked to constitute six-member committees in their respective areas to ensure distribution of these letters to all beneficiaries in one week. In order to ensure universal health care, user fees for treatment in all public health facilities up to District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) level will also be waived under BSKY across the State. BSKY help desks will be opened in all DHHs and first referral units to facilitate the scheme. The CM also inaugurated the first help desk at Capital Hospital on the occasion.
