BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Thursday urged the State government to implement the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme.Lashing out at the ruling BJD for the crumbling health infrastructure and the poor health services, State BJP president Samir Mohanty said the government has miserably failed to bring transformational changes in the health sector despite liberal assistance from the Centre.
“Hospitals in 18 district headquarters are yet to have intensive care units (ICU) while 112 primary health centres are running without electricity. As a large number of doctor posts are lying vacant, patients are forced to depend on private hospitals. This is the health sector scenario in the State,” Mohanty told a media conference.
The State government’s claim on improved health service sounds hollow when Odisha is placed at 18th position in overall health indicators of the country. It is a fact that the State government has constructed hospital buildings sans basic health infrastructure, the State BJP chief said.
The government is claiming credit for a couple of cancer treatment facilities coming up in the State either under philanthropic assistance or private investment but a large number of patients are going outside the State for treatment, he said.
Odisha is one among the four states including West Bengal and Telangana which have not implemented the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The State government has denied the Central benefit to over 60 lakh households of the State when its own scheme Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) is floundering due to non-cooperation of hospitals empanelled under the scheme, he alleged.
“We failed to understand why the BJD government is depriving such a large number of people to avail the benefit of the Central scheme despite repeated requests by the Prime Minister and Union ministers from the State,” Mohanty said. He once again requested Naveen to implement the scheme that will not only benefit the people of Odisha but Odia people living outside the State.