Jajpur: The BJD on Tuesday alleged that lakhs of poor families will be deprived of proper healthcare facilities if the state government introduces Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha.
Speaking to mediapersons, BJD leader & Former Minster Pritiranjan Ghadei said around 96.5 lakh families were covered under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), the signature scheme of the previous BJD government. “But Ayushman Bharat is expected to cover only 33 lakh families as a result of which lakhs of poor people will remain out of the health scheme,” he added.
Under the BSKY, a female beneficiary had a health coverage limit of Rs 10 lakh while male beneficiaries had a limit of Rs 5 lakh each. However, in Ayushman Bharat scheme, Rs 5 lakh limit has been set for all beneficiaries, Ghadei said.
“The state government must clarify how the female beneficiaries will be compensated for the loss. While BSKY covered all tests of a patient and follow-up consultation, Ayushman Bharat does not have these provisions,” the BJD leader pointed out.
Noting that the BSKY does not have any limit and patients of all age groups avail its benefits, Ghadei said it will be against the interest of the state to stop the scheme. She further urged the state government to announce the number of beneficiaries that will be covered under Ayushman Bharat once it is introduced, to clear the confusion among people.
Ghadei said the acceptability of BSKY in the state is more because its rules suit the poor patients of the state. “The BSKY had become a model which many other states followed,” ghadei added.
