BJPMPs fromOdisha met Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and sought his intervention to implement the Centres flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri JanAarogya Yojana(AB-PMJAY), in the state.

Odisha has in place its own scheme, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), instead ofAyushman Bharat, and the state is planning to expand it to cover 20.80 lakh more families from September 1. This would take the number of families covered to more than 92 lakh out of the states total 96 lakh families.

Odishas per capita spending on healthcare is Rs 1501 compared to the national Average of Rs 1944 in 2020-21. Similarly, the state has 59 hospital beds per one lakh Population compared to 139/one lakh people at the all-India level, the MPs wrote in the memorandum.