Odisha First In India To Roll Out Smart Health Cards, 3.5 Crore To Benefit

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik taking salute at the state-level I-Day in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: For the first time in India, the Odisha government will provide Smart Health Cards to 3.5 crore beneficiaries under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced this after hoisting the National Flag on Independence Day on Sunday.

The CM said the new cards will transform health service delivery in Odisha. The scheme will also create history in the country’s health sector, he added.

“The people of Odisha are my family. The news of people selling land, jewellery or stopping the education of their children to meet their treatment costs pains me. Therefore, I decided that this type of distress must go. To ensure that people get hassle-free and quality treatment at the best healthcare facilities, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana has been redesigned to provide Smart Health Cards to people that will work like debit cards for a certain amount,” the CM said in his address.

The main features of this new provision are:

—3.5 crore people belonging to 96 lakh families will get this Smart Health Card.
—Odisha is the first state in the country to provide such Smart Health Cards.
—This card will be given to all the beneficiaries in a phased manner.
— The beneficiaries of the national and State Food Security Schemes, Annapurna and Antodaya beneficiaries will get this card.
—Each family can avail of treatment cost up to Rs 5 lakh per annum. Women members can avail this benefit up to Rs 10 lakh every year.
—The beneficiaries can avail health services in more than 200 hospital chains of the country including Odisha.