Dabugaon: At the Saharanchal Primary Health Centre in Nabarangpur town, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Ayushman Vayo Vandana Yojana were formally launched by the Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, and Drinking Water, Shri Ravi Narayan Naik, as the chief guest.
Hon’ble MLAs Gouri Shankar Majhi of Nabarangpur and Narsingha Bhatra of Jharigaon, District Collector Dr. Subhankar Mohapatra, Chief District Medical Officer Dr. Santosh Kumar Panda, Chairperson of Nabarangpur Municipality Gapur Kunu Nayak, and social worker Kunj Bihari Das were present as distinguished guests.
In his address, the Hon’ble Minister emphasized the state government’s commitment to providing free and quality healthcare to the people, especially tribal communities. He stated that the Ayushman scheme will take health services a step further by ensuring comprehensive, free, and quality medical care. The cards under this scheme will be delivered directly to the beneficiaries’ homes, with all necessary arrangements in place.
MLAs Gouri Shankar Majhi and Narsingha Bhatra called the day a historic one for the district and praised the district administration’s efforts for successful and well-organized execution of the program. Today, the program was held across 42 Primary Health Centres, including the District Headquarters and Umerkote Sub-Divisional Hospital.
Over 1,000 people attended the district-level event, with thousands more participating across different locations in the district. Each PHC distributed 10 Ayushman cards to beneficiaries. At the district-level program, 90 beneficiaries, including Tapaswini Lachhman, Narsingha Harijan, Rama Rani Nayak, Mukesh Gupta, P. Rao, Prafulla Bharati Pattnayak, Mohammad Mehetab, B. Nag Bhushan Rao, Madan Jani, and Murali Behera received cards from the dignitaries on stage.
Gradually, cards will be distributed to all beneficiaries. In the district, 441 Common Service Centres (CSCs), with the help of ASHA workers and multipurpose public health workers, will facilitate card distribution at the village level.
Currently, three hospitals in the district—Christian Hospital, Indravati Eye Hospital, and Simadri Eye Hospital—are empaneled for treatment under this scheme. Nationwide, around 29,000 government and private hospitals are enlisted under the scheme. Until new cards are issued, eligible beneficiaries can avail treatment by presenting their Aadhaar card and the health card number from the nearest empaneled hospital.
For assistance and information, a state-level call center has been established. Additionally, to raise awareness about the scheme, 42 awareness rathas (campaign vehicles) will travel across the district until April 24, educating people about the scheme and its benefits.
Under the Ayushman Vayo Vandana Yojana, people aged 70 to 100 years will receive their cards within seven days at their homes. For health-related inquiries, toll-free numbers 104 and 14555 are available.
This scheme is a landmark initiative by the government that will significantly advance Odisha’s healthcare system by ensuring modern and accessible medical services. During the event, a live broadcast of the state-level program held at the Bali Yatra Ground in Cuttack was also viewed. The event saw participation from intellectuals, journalists, beneficiaries, administrative officials, health department staff, and nursing college students.
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