Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to cashless healthcare, the Odisha government has approved 73 new state-specific treatment packages under the ABPMJAY-GJAY scheme, raising the total number of packages in the state to 2,163. The decision aims to ensure uninterrupted treatment for beneficiaries across oncology, hematology, and ophthalmology.
The announcement came during an Empowered Committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja at the Lok Seva Bhawan today. Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Aswathy S, outlined key challenges in the scheme, while Dr. Brundha D, Chief Executive Officer of the State Health Assurance Society, presented updates on ongoing initiatives.
Reviewing the progress of the programme, Chief Secretary Ahuja emphasised the need for strict enforcement to prevent suspicious claims, non-compliance by empanelled hospitals, and fraudulent practices. The committee also discussed the introduction of 121 new oncology packages and revision of rates for 55 existing packages, as recommended by the medico-expert committee.
Other key measures approved include the phased rollout of ABPMJAY-GJAY in government health facilities, the redesignation of 1,009 Swasthya Mitras (SMs) as Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras (PMAMs), and offline settlement of claims for dependent children aged 6–18 whose names did not appear on the IT platform during the transition from GJAY to the combined programme.
Additionally, an interest-free revolving fund of Rs 10 lakh has been approved for the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) to support cashless high-end diagnostic services for cancer patients.
Members of the committee noted that these measures, while enhancing the outreach of the universal health programme, would also improve public satisfaction.
Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of Finance Sanjeeb Mishra, Principal Secretary of Electronics and IT Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Sanjay Kumar Singh, along with other senior officers and experts, participated in the deliberations.
