The Center wish Odisha should connect with the Ayushman Bharat Scheme to enable the people of Odisha residing outside the state in India to avail health cover throughout the country under the central scheme.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda presented the view in Balasore as he vouched for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana called Ayushman Bharat, what he called a unique programme and the similar one of the Government of Odisha is not the alternative. “The people of odisha should not be denied of the benefit of the scheme because of politics.Said the Minister and urged Odisha Government to reconsider its decision of staying out of programme.
The Minister was addressing to a gathering on the occasion of foundation stone laying function of a satellite center of All India Institue of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Balasore on Saturday.
Mr Nadda said that the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a unique one of its kind that is designed to bear the cost of treatment upto Rs 5lakh in empaneled hospitals throughout the country. Fifty to Fifty five crore people belonging to more than 10 crore families in rural as well as in the urban areas will be benefited from the scheme. But Odisha government has decided not to be the part of the scheme instead it has brought an alternative one of its own in the state to which the Union Minister has disapproved.
He said large number of people from Odisha migrate to other states for job. They can avail the benefit of the scheme across the country once they are enrolled in it and achieve a unique identity number. The number would be instrumental in providing him a paperless and cashless treatment under the scheme. The Odisha version of the scheme is not empowered to help them, said Mr Nadda.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who shared the stage with Mr Nadda also expressed similar view through his speech.He said, as lakhs of people especially the youth of Odisha work in different part of the country the alternative health scheme of Odisha will not be beneficial to them. And added, why the migrating poor Odia workers should be denied of their right?
Among others Balasore MP RK Jena, MLA Remuna Gobinda Das and \AIIMS Bhubaneswar Director Gitanjali Batmanbane were present in the function and expressed their views.
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