New govt will extend Ayushman Bharat scheme to Odisha, says BJP state chief

Manmohan Samal said the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana health cards introduced by the outgoing Naveen government will be discontinued

Published on: Jun 5, 2024, 21:20:21 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will soon implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the people living in and outside the state, the party’s Odisha unit chief Manmohan Samal said on Wednesday.

Odisha Bharatiya Janata Party president Manmohan Samal with party leaders release the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls (ANI FILE PHOTO)

Samal said the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) health cards introduced by the outgoing Naveen government will be discontinued due to their limited scope and be replaced by the central government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme after the formation of the new government.

“Common people will get 100% of ₹5 lakh and there will be no limitation for treatment. Ayushman Bharat is a populist scheme and it will be implemented after the new government takes oath,” said Samal adding that the government will start delivering on its election promises soon after the new cabinet takes oath.

BSKY was a health insurance card issued by the outgoing Biju Janata Dal and provided free treatment up to ₹5 lakh for male members and ₹10 lakh for female family members annually.

Odisha is one of only four states that have not implemented the Modi government’s flagship health coverage scheme for the poor, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY.

The Naveen Patnaik government had reasoned that the state scheme was more beneficial to the people.

Samal criticised hospitals that have reportedly stopped honouring the BSKY health card on the grounds that the government has withdrawn the card.

“The change of government is a process, and using this as a pretext to deprive people of healthcare is a social and constitutional offence. Patients should not be deprived of healthcare benefits on account of this. The administration should keep a close eye on such false rumour,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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