Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana To Benefit 70 Lakh Families

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), the new scheme of the Odisha government, on the occasion of the 72^nd Independence Day on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister kicked off the BSKY Helpdesk at the Capital Hospital here.

The scheme, which provides annual cashless health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per beneficiary family, will benefit more than 70 lakh families.

To provide additional health protection to women, the scheme provides for annual health coverage of Rs 7 lakh for the women members of the beneficiary families. About 1.5 crore women of the state will benefit with the scheme.

All beneficiaries currently enrolled under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BKKY), as well as other low-income families, are covered under the BSKY. The health protection provided under the scheme can be availed in all public health facilities and 30 empanelled private health facilities in the state.

To ensure Universal Health Care, the BSKY provides for waiver of user fees (free treatment) in all public health facilities up to the level of the District Headquarters Hospitals across the state.

All persons, irrespective of income status or residence, can avail all procedures provided in government health facilities including in-patient beds, surgeries, OT and ICU facilities without any charge. To provide these facilities, BSKY Helpdesks will be operational in all District Headquarters Hospitals and first referral units in the state.

The state government would spend around Rs 600 crore-Rs 800 crore annually under the scheme.