Bhubaneswar, April 4: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda is set to launch the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Odisha next week.
Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal confirmed that Nadda will arrive in Bhubaneswar on the night of April 10 and officially roll out the scheme on April 11.
Later in the day, Nadda will also attend a training session with the party's MLAs and MPs.
The state government has already started integrating the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) with the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY), previously known as Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). This merger will create a unified health card for beneficiaries.
As a result, around 3.52 crore people from 1.08 crore families will be covered under the combined scheme, which is expected to be named the Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-GJAY). Of these, 67.8 lakh families will be eligible for AB-PMJAY, while the Odisha government will cover the remaining beneficiaries through GJAY.
The National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha on January 13, to implement the converged scheme in the state.
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will provide an annual coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family, with an additional Rs 5 lakh for women members. Approximately 1.03 crore families will benefit from this converged scheme, with 67.8 lakh families covered by the Union Government. Additionally, senior citizens aged 70 and above will receive a special card under the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme.
