Bhubaneswar: The ambitious central scheme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri – Jan Arogya Yojana will be implemented in the State by February 2025, said Health & Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling here today.
The Central team has made a survey for implementation of Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the State, he said, adding, “As we had promised, the scheme will be implemented before the end of the current financial year by February end.”
No one will be deprived of the health insurance schemes. Approximately, 3.5 crore people will get health cards under the scheme in the State, he said.
In addition, the state government is committed to increasing the number of medical colleges and nursing colleges in the new year, the Health Minister said.
According to sources, an MoU will be signed between the State government and Centre for implementation of Ayushman Bharat Yojana alongside state-sponsored healthcare scheme Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana to provide free healthcare services to economically vulnerable families.
Once the Ayushman Bharat scheme is implemented in the state, the beneficiaries can avail free treatment in 27,000 hospitals in and outside the State.
The BJP government, in its election manifesto, had promised to implement the Central scheme within 100 days after coming to power in the State. The previous BJD government did not allow the scheme as it may have an impact on the voters. The previous government had launched its own scheme—Biju Swasthya Kalya Yojana (BSKY), which is now renamed as Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) by the BJP government.