Centre urges Odisha to join Ayushman Bharat health scheme

The Centre urged the Odisha government to become a part of the Ayushman Bharat, saying the flagship health insurance scheme launched last month would remain incomplete if it did not do so. Odisha is yet to join the central health scheme.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had rejected the Centre's proposal to join the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission and launched its own health scheme called the 'Biju Swastha Kalyan Yojana' to cover about 3.5 crore people of nearly 70 lakh families.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashiwni Kumar Choubey, who was here for the inauguration of the Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital said, "Unless Odisha became part of the Ayushman Bharat, the programme would remain incomplete. Therefore, I urged the Odisha government to accept it."

Choubey, however, said there is nothing wrong in the state's own scheme, but Odisha should also become part of the Ayushman Bharat to make it complete as well as provide better health assurance provision for the poor and the needy people.

"I congratulate the chief minister for the state's own scheme. But the state should also take advantage of the Ayushman Bharat," the Union minister said.

The Odisha government has launched the Biju Swathya Kalyan Yojana from August 15 this year, coinciding with the launch of the Ayushman Bharat.

The state had rejected the Ayushman Bharat scheme primarily because the Health and Family Welfare Ministry put a condition to limit the number of beneficiaries to 61 lakh families, while the Odisha government stuck to the demand for covering 70 lakh families.

Patnaik, who inaugurated the hospital here, said it will fulfil a long-standing demand of the local people and bring advanced healthcare services at their doorstep.

"The new medical college marks yet another milestone in our efforts for ensuring best quality health care for all and produce more expertise to serve the needy people of the state," the chief minister said.

The Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital has been established with 60:40 contribution between the Centre and the state.

The hospital has been named after Fakir Mohan Senapati, also known as Byasa Kabi, who was born on January 13, 1843 at Mallikashpur in Balasore town. He is also regarded as the father of Odia novel and short stories.

With the inauguration of the Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, the total number of government-run medical colleges in Odisha increased to seven.