Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launched the distribution of smart health cards under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) in Mayurbhanj district. As many as 21.40 Lakh people in the district will benefit from the scheme.
The government has earlier launched the distribution of smart heath cards in six districts of the state.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that September 2021 marked a new era in the history of healthcare in Odisha. From September 1, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana in Odisha has started providing health services through smart health cards. He described the card as a “real friend” in times of need. The Chief Minister hoped that this would bring a big change in the lives of the people.
“Odisha is the only state where the state government bears all the costs, from testing to treatment, of all COVID-19 affected patients,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that 3.5 crore people from 96 households in the state would benefit from the Smart Health Card. This will help the poor people get rid of many health problems, especially financial constraints. Now people can get better and hassle-free treatment in 200 of the country’s largest hospitals just by producing the smart health cards.
Expressing that development work is being accelerated in Mayurbhanj district, the Chief Minister said that 15,000 hectares of land in 94 villages are getting water from the canal in the Subarnarekha Irrigation Project from last July.
The Chief Minister also said that a mega piped water project worth Rs 3,200 crore is being implemented to provide piped water to all households in Mayurbhanj. He further added that more than Rs 500 projects worth Rs 2,300 crore are being inaugurated and today.
The function was attended by Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, Urban Development Minister Pratap Jena, Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi among others and lauded the Chief Minister’s commitment to improving healthcare in the state. “Thanks to the visionary leadership of the Chief Minister, Odisha was able to save many lives by supplying oxygen to 14 states during the COVID pandemic,” they said and described the BSKY Smart health Card as a “historic step” to provide better health to the people.
