Bhubaneswar: In a move to strengthen cashless healthcare, the Odisha government on Tuesday approved 73 new state-specific treatment packages under the ABPMJAY-GJAY scheme. With this, the total number of packages has gone up to 2,163.
The decision aims to ensure smooth and uninterrupted treatment for beneficiaries across oncology, hematology, and ophthalmology.
The move was deliberated and resolved during an empowered committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja at the Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Aswathy S, outlined key challenges in the scheme, while Brundha D, Chief Executive Officer of the State Health Assurance Society, presented updates on ongoing initiatives.
While reviewing the progress of the programme, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for strict enforcement to prevent suspicious claims, non-compliance by empanelled hospitals, and fraudulent practices. The panel also discussed the introduction of 121 new oncology packages and revision of rates for 55 existing packages, as recommended by the medico-expert committee.
Other key measures approved include the phased rollout of ABPMJAY-GJAY in government health facilities, the redesignation of 1,009 Swasthya Mitras (SMs) as Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras (PMAMs), and offline settlement of claims for dependent children aged 6–18 whose names did not appear on the IT platform during the transition from GJAY to the combined programme.
This apart, an interest-free revolving fund of Rs 10 lakh has been approved for the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) to support cashless high-end diagnostic services for cancer patients.
Members of the committee noted that these measures, while enhancing the outreach of the universal health programme, would also improve public satisfaction.
Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of Finance Sanjeeb Mishra, Principal Secretary of Electronics and IT Vishal Kumar Dev, and Principal Secretary of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Sanjay Kumar Singh attended the meeting.
