Odisha signs MoU to prove comprehensive healthcare coverage under AB-PMJAY
Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre to roll out the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) by integrating it with the state’s Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana with the aim to provide comprehensive healthcare coverage to economically vulnerable families of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi said, “I am extremely delighted on this occasion for the signing of this MoU between national health authority and government of Odisha. This significant event along will change the health status of about 86 percent population of Odisha. It is going to revolutionize the systematic approach and bring it the top to bottom accessibility with a magical touch. It will crystalize the progressive development of Odisha in health sector by means of an effective and people friendly initiative.”
“I express my deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his immense support to Odisha in its initiatives. Under his leadership, Odisha has set up a new journey and this journey will touch new heights sooner than later. I also thank Union Minister JP Nadda for bringing in Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to Odisha. My special thanks to National Health Authority as the implementing partner of the scheme,” he added.
“The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, world’s largest health assurance scheme was launched in 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensuring health coverage to more than 50 crore people in the country. However, for political reasons, in Odisha the people were kept out from it as it w2as not implemented by the then state government. In order to correct this mistake, the State government took a decision to implement PM-JAY in the state as early as possible,” Majhi said adding that today, after completing all the technicalities and documentation we are here signing this MoU on this auspicious day when the Maha Kumbh is also starting. I am sure, this is a good beginning and the people of Odisha will reap rich benefit out of this programme.
The Odisha CM said, “Qualitative universal health care is a priority agenda of the government of Odisha. The State has allocated nearly Rs 21,000 crore for year 2024-25 towards public health care. It is an increase of about 32.2 percent over the last financial year. The allocation for the health care is around 8 per cent of the total state budget, which is perfectly in tune with the national health policy. At present our government is implementing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana which provides health cover to all government health facilities and selected private hospitals. It provides comprehensive health care to economically backward families with Rs 5 lakh per annum for family. Besides, an additional Rs 5 lakh for women members of the family at impanelled private hospitals.”
“At present, our one crore families covering nearly 80 per cent of the population of the State are provided health assurance under Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, which is one of the highest in the entire country. Every month, about 1.5 lakh patients receive cashless treatment amounting up to Rs 350 crore at impanelled hospitals. A budgetary allocation over Rs 4,000 crore has been made for the current financial year 2024-25. However, there are certain limitations at present. Beneficiaries are availing cashless treatment in only 900 impanelled private hospitals also the people staying outside the state are deprived of the service under scheme. This will be corrected through the implementation of PM-JAY. With PM-JAY, the beneficiary can avail cashless treatment in more than 29,000 government and private impanelled hospitals across India,” Majhi said.
“I am glad that the beneficiaries will receive such a wide range of options in choosing their health care provided across the country. Also, the beneficiaries living in any part of India will have access to affordable, accessible and quality healthcare across the State of the country which is now limited in only 16 states. After onboarding to PM-JAY, Odisha will receive also be able to receive government of India funding under the scheme,” he hoped.
The MoU was signed by Odisha’s Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Aswathy S, and CEO of the National Health Authority (NHA), L S Changsan, in the presence of Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Jual Oram.
