Odisha First State in Country to Provide Air Health Service

Bhubaneswar: Healthcare in the State of Odisha is marching ahead under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. With his motto;
‘Every life is Precious’ the State has taken several reform measures for strengthening the delivery of healthcare services in line with the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and to achieve Universal Health Coverage. In the recent NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2020-21, Odisha’s position has  improved from “Performer” to “Front Runner” under SDG Goal-3 related to ‘Good Health & Well-being’. Odisha’s model in the sharpest decline in Malaria has been acknowledged globally by WHO. The State stood 2nd rank in the Country in 2021 for its efforts towards the elimination of TB.
Odisha has made a quantum leap with a 39-point decline by reducing IMR which is the highest point decline in the country. The State has secured 1st rank among all States in Full Immunization coverage with 90.5% coverage achievement. Odisha is the first state in the country to provide Air Health
Service by flying specialists to rural interior areas of the state to bring the super specialist care to every corner of the state, under Seba’. During the time of Covid Pandemic, Odisha was one of the first States to create dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with ICUs in each district. When several States of India grappled for lifesaving oxygen, Odisha supplied 300 tonnes of oxygen to several  parts of India. By adoption of 5Ts initiatives and ‘Mo Sarkar’ strategies, the accountability of health officials in public health facilities has improved and patient satisfaction has increased. In its endeavour to ensure zero out-of-pocket expenditure and provide universal health coverage, Odisha is the first and only State in the country to mandate free
treatment for all persons, in all public health facilities. The free services include free drugs, diagnostics, OPD, IPD, surgery, ICU, etc, in all government
healthcare facilities, from Primary Health Centers to Medical College Hospitals. The free services can be availed by all people, irrespective of  esidence, caste, or economic status. To enable this, the scheme ‘Niramaya’ was introduced for ensuring free drugs to all, ‘Nidaan’ for free diagnostic
services, ‘Sahay” for the provision of free dialysis services in all districts. Further, free blood is being provided to the patients requiring blood in Public Health Facilities, and free chemotherapy facility is there for cancer patients. In addition to providing free healthcare in all public health facilities, the State government has taken additional measures to safeguard the health of economically vulnerable sections of society, and women in particular, through the BSKY or Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. The BSKY provides cashless care in empanelled private hospitals, to over 96.5 lakh households. The cashless coverage is up to Rs 5 lakh per annum for a family and Rs 10 lakh per annum for women  members of the family. All major hospitals within the State and premier hospitals across 16 States are empanelled under this scheme. To defeat cancer, “BAGCHI SRISHANKAR CANCER
HOSPITAL” with 750 beds and all modern amenities is being established in the State capital. Another 200 bedded State of the Art Cancer Hospital is in the process of being set up by Tata Memorial Center in collaboration with Govt. of Odisha and Department of Atomic Energy, Govt.of India in the NISE Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, which significantly reduces queues and OPD waiting time. ” Digitization of  Laboratory Tests – a best practice of Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, which enables patient to get sms link to the laboratory report which can be downloaded anywhere. ” Automated Queue Management – a best practice of Mayurbhanj district, where tokens are given to patients during OPD registration and the numbers are called out and displayed on a screen, while patients wait in comfort on chairs, instead of standing in queues. ” level Monitoring Cell follows up on the same.
Collector Deogarh spoke of innovative measures taken by his leet and reducing response time of the ambulance service D. Opening of Kalahandi
Medical College & Hospital.

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