Naveen Patnaik Approves 30% Hike In Daily Diet Allowance For Patients In Odisha Hospitals

Bhubaneswar: To further improve the patient care delivery system in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday approved a 30 per cent increase in the daily diet allowance given to indoor patients admitted to state-run hospitals.

According to official sources, the daily diet allowance per bed in hospitals has been increased from Rs 85 to Rs 110 per day. Similarly, the daily diet allowance has been hiked to Rs 95 from Rs 75 for in-patients (children), from Rs 95 to Rs 120 for high nutrition food, from Rs 75 to Rs 95 for dry food and from Rs 85 to Rs 110 for liquid diet.

This will be applicable to 618 government hospitals across the state. While the decision will benefit more than 42 lakh patients, it will cost the state exchequer Rs 64 crore annually, it added.

The government has taken several reformative measures in health sector in the recent past through Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, which offers free diagnostic tests, free medicines through treatment, free dialysis services, free blood services, free ambulance services, bringing down the medical expenses.