Bhubaneswar: In a step towards realizing the vision of “Sustha Odisha, Sukhi Odisha” (Healthy Odisha, Happy Odisha), Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the third phase of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) on Friday. The program aims to provide universal health coverage, making healthcare a right that is accessible and affordable for all residents of Odisha.
Chief Minister Patnaik expressed his longstanding dream of ensuring universal health coverage for the people of Odisha, emphasizing that healthcare should be a fundamental right for everyone. Launched five years ago, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana has played a pivotal role in revolutionizing health assurance in the state.
During the first phase of BSKY, all services in public health facilities were made free of cost for individuals, irrespective of their income or place of residence. In the second phase, the program extended cashless healthcare services to private health facilities for all ration card holders.
Under the BSKY initiative, over 45 lakh individuals receive free healthcare every month in public health facilities, while 1.3 lakh persons benefit from cashless healthcare, amounting to a monthly expenditure of Rs 260 crore to empanelled private hospitals.
Chief Minister Patnaik highlighted that BSKY has provided cashless healthcare worth approximately Rs 4,500 crore to nearly 21 lakh patients in private hospitals alone over the last five years. This integrated approach leverages the strengths of both the public and private sectors, creating a unique model for universal health coverage.
With the launch of the third phase, the BSKY Nabin Card will be extended to all left-out families in rural areas of the state. This expansion includes all rural families in Odisha, except regular government employees and income tax payees not covered under the existing BSKY. The BSKY Nabin Card will entitle these families to cashless healthcare of Rs 5 lakh per annum (up to Rs 10 lakh for women members) in impaneled private hospitals within and outside the state, specifically for identified critical illnesses.
The third phase aims to cover over 1.10 crore families, encompassing nearly 90% of the state’s population, thereby ensuring that no family is left vulnerable due to financial constraints when faced with the high expenditure associated with critical illnesses.
