Naveen Patnaik launches third phase of Odisha's flagship health scheme

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday launched the third phase of the state's flagship health scheme - Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).

Patnaik said with this third phase of expansion, it is estimated that over 1.10 crore families, covering nearly 90 per cent of the state's population will be provided health assurance under BSKY.

The chief minister said that the BSKY will ensure that no family in Odisha is left vulnerable due to lack of financial resources to meet high expenditure for critical illnesses.

The families left out in the first two phases of the BSKY, would be covered in the third phase, Patnaik said while launching the new 'BSKY Nabin Card' for the beneficiaries.

"We are now launching the third phase of BSKY, where all left-out families of rural areas of our state will be assured of cashless health service in private hospitals, for all critical ailments," Patnaik said.

Stating that the BSKY scheme was launched five years ago to provide health assurance to all, Patnaik said this expansion phase will include all rural families of the state except regular government employees and income taxpayers. The people not covered under BSKY will be eligible to receive the 'BSKY Nabin Card', he said.

As per the BSKY norms, the new beneficiaries will also be entitled to cashless care worth Rs 5 lakh per annum and the amount of coverage for women would be up to Rs 10 lakh in empanelled private hospitals both inside and outside the state.

"Sustha (Healthy) Odisha, Sukhi (Happy) Odisha has been the driving force behind all interventions in the health sector in Odisha. It has been my dream to provide universal health coverage to the people of Odisha, where healthcare is a right, accessible and affordable by all. To take this vision forward, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana was launched 5 years ago bringing about a revolution in providing health assurance to the people of Odisha," the chief minister said.

In the first phase of the BSKY, all services in public health facilities were made free of cost for all persons, irrespective of income or residence.

In the second phase, BSKY provided cashless healthcare in private health facilities for all covered under Food Security Schemes and ration card holders.

Official sources said every month over 45 lakh persons receive free health care at public health facilities in the state, while 1.3 lakh persons received cashless care in private hospitals under BSKY. This amounts to Rs 260 crore each month in empanelled private hospitals.

In the past five years, BSKY has provided free healthcare service to nearly 21 lakh patients with cashless healthcare of about Rs 4,500 crores, in private hospitals alone.

"It has become a unique model for universal health coverage, leveraging the strengths of both the public and private sectors to provide comprehensive health assurance to the people of Odisha," the chief minister said.