Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announces to provide Smart Health Cards to 3.5 crore people

Bhubaneswar, August 15

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday announced to provide Smart Health Cards to 3.5 crore people in the state under the redesigned Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana.

Hoisting the tri-color on the occasion at the 75th Independence Day at the state-level function here Patnaik said that Odisha was the first state in the country to provide such Smart Health Cards and 3.5 crore people of 96 lakh families will get this Smart Health Card.

Stating that the move will usher in a new era in the state’s health sector, Chief Minister said that this initiative would transform the health service delivery system and create history in the health sector of the Country.

Patnaik said, “all the people of entire Odisha are my family. The news of people selling land, jewellery or stop sending children to school to manage their treatment costs pains me. I, therefore I decided that this type of distress must go.”

With a view to providing hassle-free quality treatment at the best available health care facilities , Chief Minister said that Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana was redesigned .The Smart Health Cards will work like debit cards for a certain amount. The beneficiaries can avail of health services in more than 200 hospital chains of the country including Odisha.

The beneficiaries of National and State Food Security Schemes, Annapurna and Antodaya beneficiaries will get this card and each family can avail treatment cost up to Rs 5 lakh per annum. Women members can avail of this benefit up to Rs 10 lakh every year.BM