By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The Naveen Patnaik led Odisha Government on Friday launched the third phase of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) Nabin Card for all families in rural areas who were not covered previously. “With this third phase of expansion, it is estimated that over 1.10 crore families, covering nearly 90% of the population of the State, will be provided health assurance under BSKY.
“Sustha Odisha, Sukhi 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. BSKY coverage is being expanded phase-wise, to provide comprehensive health protection to the entire population of our State,” said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launching the BSKY Nabin Card on Friday.
This will ensure that no family in Odisha is left vulnerable due to lack of financial resources to meet high expenditure for critical illnesses; thus fulfilling the promise of universal health coverage for the people of Odisha,” he said.
“In the first phase of 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 ration card holders,” he added.
Under BSKY, every month over 45 lakh persons receive free health care at public health facilities in the State, while 1.3 lakh persons receive cashless care . This amounts to Rs. 260 crores each month in empanelled private hospitals. In the past five years BSKY has provided nearly 21 lakh patients with cashless healthcare of about Rs 4,500 crores, in private hospitals alone. It has thus 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,” he said.
“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 care in private hospitals, for critical ailments. In this phase of expansion, all rural families of Odisha (except regular government employees and income tax payees), who are presently not covered under BSKY, will be eligible to receive the “BSKY Nabin Card”. This will entitle them to cashless care of Rs. 5 lakh per annum (upto 10 lakh for women members of the family), in empanelled private hospitals both inside and outside the State, for identified critical illnesses,” CM Patnaik said.
