CM launches health scheme for rural poor

Bhubaneswar:Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday launched a health scheme – the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) Nabin Card – for people of the rural areas of the State.

Launching the BSKY Nabin Card, Naveen said people living in villages, except regular government employees and income taxpayers, will get this benefit. The people will be able to get the benefits from May 1, a statement issued by the CMO said, adding that the scheme will be implemented under the “5T initiative” of the State government. 5T is a governance model in Odisha, based on teamwork, transparency, technology and time leading to transformation.

The Nabin Card is an extension of the BSKY scheme under which about 1 crore families, around 80 per cent of the State’s population, are availing cashless health services.

In the new scheme, there is a provision of medical benefits up to Rs 5 lakh for each member of a family. The women, however, are entitled to Rs 10 lakh. Naveen said the BSKY Nabin Card will help cover more families in this scheme. Beneficiaries with BSKY Nabin Card are entitled to get cashless treatment for identified critical diseases – heart, kidney, liver, brain stroke, severe head injury, brain tumour, burns management, nerve & muscle diseases and cancer – at all empanelled hospitals both inside and outside Odisha.

The card holders will also get cashless coverage at empanelled private hospitals from May 1. In the next phase, the benefit will be extended to all the people in the urban areas.