Bhubaneswar: In yet another significant step to enhance patient care delivery system, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday approved a 30 per cent hike in the food subsidy given to indoor patients admitted for treatment in government hospitals.
The State Government will spend Rs 64 crore annually for this. The decision will benefit more than 42 lakh patients.
As per the new decision, the average daily food provided per bed in hospitals will now be worth Rs 110 instead of Rs 85, the allocation for infants’ food has been increased from Rs 75 to Rs 95, the allocation for high-nutrition food from Rs 95 to Rs 120, dry food from Rs 75 to Rs 95 and Rs 85 to Rs 110 for liquid food.
Food will be provided at this increased price in 618 government hospitals across the State.
Notably, the State Government has taken many reforms to provide better healthcare. To achieve the target of public healthcare in the state and to reduce private expenditure on treatment, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana offers free healthcare, free diagnostic tests, free medicines through treatment, free dialysis services, free blood services, free ambulance services, etc, according to an official release.