The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 5, 2025
In a significant move to enhance healthcare access for residents of Odisha, the state will officially launch the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana on April 11. The launch will take place at a state-level ceremony at the Bali Yatra Ground in Cuttack, in the presence of Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and other prominent dignitaries including Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram, and Aswini Vaishnaw, along with Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida.
The announcement was made by Odisha’s Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, who said that approximately 1.3 crore families, comprising 3.50 crore individuals, will benefit from the two schemes. The new health cards introduced under these programs — Ayushman Card and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Card — mark a significant upgrade over the previous health card system. Previously, the health card was accepted at just 900 hospitals, both within and outside the state. In contrast, the new cards will be accepted at over 29,000 hospitals across the country, expanding access to healthcare services for millions of people.
One of the notable features of the new system is the introduction of the Vaya Vandana card. This card will be provided to senior citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of their financial status, under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Unlike the older scheme, which issued family-wise health cards, the new cards will be issued to individuals, thus streamlining the process and ensuring that each beneficiary has direct access to healthcare services.
Minister Mahaling further emphasized that the launch of the Ayushman Bharat scheme would lead to increased central funding for Odisha’s healthcare system. Had the scheme been introduced in 2018, the state would have potentially received around Rs 3,000 crore in additional funds to support healthcare delivery. The new initiative also promises cashless treatment, thereby eliminating the need for third-party settlements and insurance company interventions, making the process smoother and more efficient for beneficiaries.
To ensure that residents across Odisha are well-informed about the new schemes, the government will kickstart an extensive awareness campaign. A special “Swasthya Chetana Ratha” will tour villages for seven days, starting from April 11. The mobile unit will distribute informative leaflets to households, and ASHA workers will also play a vital role in disseminating information at the grassroots level.
Beneficiaries who wish to avail themselves of the new cards can do so at Common Service Centres located throughout the state. In the initial phase, those who do not yet possess their cards will still be able to access healthcare services at empanelled hospitals by presenting their Aadhaar cards or previous health cards.
