Finance
In a landmark step to provide universal health care, the Odisha government is preparing to launch the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana on April 1. The plans aim to give health insurance to more than 3.5 crore people in the state.
The decision was made on Wednesday at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the Lok Seva Bhawan.
To commemorate the start of this system, events will be held in all 1,438 primary health care facilities across the state. In addition, a large awareness campaign will be undertaken to promote the scheme.
Notably, the state government and the National Health Authority signed a memorandum of understanding in New Delhi on January 13 to implement the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Odisha.
According to an announcement from the Chief Minister’s Office, the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana will benefit more than 1.03 crore families in the state. Individually, more than 3.46 crore people will profit. In Odisha, both projects will be executed jointly (co-branded). Beneficiaries of both schemes will receive a co-branded card. Each recipient will receive a single card for both the AB-PMJAY and the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, while Pradhanmantri Vaya Vandana Yojana will be issued a separate card.
Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana will benefit about 67.80 lakh families, while the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana will serve 35.84 lakh families.
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana would also cover persons above the age of 70. According to estimates, the state has 23,12,979 persons above the age of 70. Around 17 lakh of these are already covered by the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, leaving approximately 6 lakh as new beneficiaries.
This increases the overall number of beneficiaries in the state to 3.52 crore. Each male beneficiary will receive medical care valued up to Rs 5 lakh, while each female beneficiary will receive up to Rs 10 lakh. A family with a beneficiary above the age of 70 will receive medical treatment valued up to Rs 15 lakh. Beneficiaries can receive cashless medical treatment at more than 29,000 government and private facilities across the country.
The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of Information and Public Relations Department Sanjay Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of Information Technology Department Vishal Dev, Secretary of Health Department Smt. Ms Aswathy S, and senior Health Department officials.
