The Odisha model of combating malaria has been acknowledged globally by the World Health Organization as the state is ranked two in the Country in 2021 for its efforts towards the elimination of Tuberculosis. The model resulted in the sharpest decline in the vector-borne disease.

Odisha has made a quantum leap with a 39-point decline by reducing IMR which is the highest point decline in the country. Besides, the state has secured 1st rank among all the states in full immunization coverage with 90.5 per cent coverage achievement.

The state became 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 ‘Mukhya Mantri Bayu Swasthya Seba’, Secretary Health and family welfare, Shalini Pandit said while listing out the achievement of the department at the senior officers’ meet on Tuesday.

During the trying times of Covid Pandemic, Odisha was one of the first states to create dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with Intensive Care Units in each district. When several States of India grappled for life-saving oxygen, Odisha supplied 300 tonnes of oxygen to several parts of India, she claimed.

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 residence, 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, she said.

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, the senior health official concluded.