Bhubaneswar: In the quest for bringing in Universal Healthcare in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ambitious Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana on the auspicious occasion of the 72nd Independence Day in 2018. The aim was to provide best of the healthcare services to more than 70 lakh families of Odisha. In just three years, since its launch, the Biju Swasthhya Kalyan Yojana has brought under its fold more than 71 lakh families constituting more than half of the total population of the state. The revolutionary step has helped millions of people in getting free treatment in both government and private hospitals.
Exactly after three years, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has again announced another historic decision of the Government of Odisha to provide 92.5 Crore families consisting more than three and a half crore beneficiaries with Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana Smart Health Cards – again a first in the country. The Digital Smart Card will provide annual health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family (Rs 10 lakh for female members).
The total scheme is being digitized and all beneficiaries will be issued chip based smart cards which can provide instant access to healthcare services at all government hospitals and more than 200 private hospitals both in Odisha and outside. In the first phase, the Digital Smart Cards will be issued to the beneficiaries in Gajapati, Malkangiri, Balangir, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj districts. All other districts are expected to be covered by the end of this year. Launching the scheme, Naveen said that “the initiative will transform health service delivery system and create history in the health sector of the Country.
He also said that “all the people of entire Odisha are my family. The news of people selling land, jewellery or stop sending children to school to manage their treatment costs pains me. Therefore, I decided that this type of distress must go. People should get hassle free quality treatment at best available healthcare facilities. So, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana was redesigned to provide Smart Health Cards to people that will work as debit cards for a certain amount.”
The revamped scheme will include beneficiaries of National and State Food Security Schemes and Annapurna and Antodaya beneficiaries as well who will also be provided the digital Smart Health Cards. While currently 187 hospitals in the state are empanelled in the scheme to provide free treatment, 17 hospitals from outside the state are also providing the service free of cost. Efforts are on to include more private hospitals to make it more hassle free for the beneficiaries. The Digital Card will mean that the patients will not require any type of document or paperwork for cashless treatment at healthcare facilities.
The government has also decided to provide the beneficiaries with a kit that will contain the list of names of empanelled hospitals. Each family will be given two chip based smart health cards printed with the name of the beneficiary and a 12-digit unique registration number. The state Government’s 104 tollfree number can be used to get information on the scheme or lodging any complaints.
The digitization of the BSKY by giving Smart Health Cards is going to bring in a new era in Universal Healthcare delivery not only in the state but will also make other states and the Center to emulate this step. While it will save precious time during emergencies by avoiding unnecessary paperwork and save lives, there will be full transparency in the whole process. It is a true example of harnessing Information Technology for the welfare of people. The Smart Health Card will also help safe keep all the information related to the treatment history of the members that can be used when necessary. It will also help reduce the ambiguities involved in transactions involving hospitals, insurance companies and the government.
The healthcare sector in Odisha is going through a transformation that was never seen before and has a few examples in the country. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s aim to provide free world class healthcare to all the people of Odisha is getting implemented with a big push in infrastructure spending and other services. In the 2021-22 Odisha Budget, the government made a provision of Rs 9,164 crore – an increase of more than 19 percent from the previous year for the health sector. Apart from this, expenditure by different departments such as labour and ESI, Urban Development, Women and Child Development etc., are also spending nearly Rs 3000 Crore that is also helping the health sector. All the Government Hospitals in the state have undergone transformation in terms of infrastructure and services. Medical Colleges of the state today have the most modern facilities for the treatment of the people. Naveen’s endeavor to see best of the heath health care for all his family members is being hailed as being one of the best in the country. Today’s decision to provide Digital Smart Health Cards to more than three and half crore beneficiaries is going to be another milestone in Odisha’s efforts in ensuring Universal Healthcare to its people.