Bhubaneswar: The government has decided to provide the health assistance assured under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) to the public through the state’s existing medical colleges.
The Health and Family Welfare department Thursday said that as per the new decision, the provision of universal free health services would be extended to all government medical colleges across the state, and they will start providing health assistance under the programme from February 1.
According to the norms of the Health department, all patients, irrespective of economic background, would be able to avail the benefits. This will also ensure that residents of the state will get blood bank facility free of cost.
Earlier, the free treatment facilities were confined to sub-centres at the village-level and to District Headquarters Hospitals (DHHs).
According to government statistics, after the scheme’s launch August 15, 2018 it was utilised in 2.25 crore cases.
Under the BSKY, the government had made all health services in government-owned health institutions free for everyone. The Health department Thursday claimed that under the scheme, with the addition of government medical colleges, the facilities of in-patient admission, surgeries, operation theatre procedures and ICU facilities will be provided without any charge.
The government has allocated an additional Rs 100 crore to fund the extension plan. In empanelled private hospitals around 70 lakh families will continue to get cashless care up to Rs 5 lakh per annum per family and Rs 7 lakh for women members of the family.