Initiate Legal Action If Hospitals Deny Government Schemes: Odisha's CM, Naveen Patnaik

The Health Department of Odisha has received complaints about the difficulty some citizens face to avail the benefits of different health insurance schemes. In response to the complaints raised, Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha asked the health department to initiate criminal cases against such hospitals. // Patnaik said that providing better health services is one of the top priorities of the state government. Under no circumstances can the hospital authorities harass the people and if any institute was found to cause a mishap, it must be taken into task.

Patnaik asked the Health Department to issue show cause notices to hospitals, which reports denial of health insurances to the needy people.

Health minister Atanu S Nayak said that the state government was contemplating to open a separate directorate to exclusively deal with health insurance schemes and the Chief Minister would review the health insurance schemes once in every two months.

The state government has various accident and health insurance schemes mainly for the poor. Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BKKY), the health and accident insurance scheme was launched for the rural people in Odisha. Above 55 lakh farmers families have been covered under the BKKY and the state government has already spent an amount of Rs 26 crore for the scheme.

An amount of Rs 108.46 crore has been provided to different insurance companies under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana which entitles hospitalization coverage up to Rs. 30,000/- for most of the diseases. As many as 44 lakh families in the state have registered under the Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yojana.

Source-Medindia