‘Swasthya Mitra’ to assist BSKY beneficiaries in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has decided to introduce ‘Swasthya Mitra’ service to guide and assist Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) beneficiaries at empanelled hospitals for treatment.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the State Health Assurance Society chaired by Chief Secretary Aditya Padhi.

Under the new programme, empanelled private hospitals will have a help desk where ‘Swasthya Mitras’ will help BSKY card holders in availing free treatment. A third-party assessment of the service will be held, on the basis of which further steps would be taken for improvement of the scheme.

Shalini Pandit, Special Secretary and Director, National Health Mission said around 70 lakh families of the state have been covered under BSKY. They are eligible to get medical treatment free of cost at 200 private hospitals in the state, government hospitals in the state and 20 super specialty hospitals outside the state, she said.