Bhubaneswar: Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal Wednesday clarified the false rumours on the BSKY health card. He described it as most unfortunate that some private hospitals in Odisha have started refusing to admit patients, claiming that the BSKY health card has been withdrawn.
After the election results were announced Tuesday, several complaints have poured in from various places that private hospitals are not accepting the BSKY card and are turning patients away, Samal said.
Samal emphasized that “diseases and patients have no caste, religion, or party affiliation”, adding that it is the primary responsibility of every government to provide healthcare facilities to all citizens.
The BJP President remarked that “the change of government is a process and using this as a pretext to deprive people of healthcare is a social and constitutional offence.” He urged private hospital authorities to desist from such actions and provide quality healthcare to the people.
Samal also asked the administration to keep a close watch on these false rumours.
It can be mentioned here that the Biju Swastya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) is a health insurance card issued by the previous Naveen Patnaik government, providing free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for male family members and Rs 10 lakh for female family members annually.
Samal mentioned that the people of Odisha have reposed their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and voted for a change in government in the state. He said the BSKY health cards introduced by the previous government will be discontinued in the future due to their limited scope. Instead, the Ayushman Bharat scheme will be implemented in the state after the formation of the new government, allowing Odia people living outside the state to benefit from the scheme.
The BJP had accused the Naveen Patnaik government of not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state, fearing that the sole credit for the scheme would go to Prime Minister Modi and the BJP-led NDA government. The party had announced that once a BJP government is formed in Odisha, it would implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the people of the state.
PNN & Agencies