Amid coronavirus outbreak, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urges Odisha CM to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme
Bhubaneswar: Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday requested Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in the state.
Pradhan took Twitter route to urge the Chief Minister to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state for the benefit of the people to further strengthen the fight against COVID-19.
In wake of the global pandemic and the rising number of coronavirus cases, I request Shri @Naveen_Odisha to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha for the benefit of the people to further strengthen the fight against #Covid-19.
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) March 24, 2020
The Union Minster also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to cover the deadly COVID19 infection under the Ayushman Bharat scheme .
PM Shri @narendramodi’s decision to cover the #Covid-19 under #AyushmanBharat is a welcome step. This will immensely benefit the poorest of the poor in the country and enable them undergo cashless treatment for coronavirus.
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) March 24, 2020
Earlier the Petroleum Minister and other Union Ministers had urged the Odisha govt several times to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme but the Naveen government had rejected the proposal, saying that it is implementing the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana for the people.
So far, two foreign-returned persons have been infected with deadly Coronavirus in the state. They are currently hospitalised at the Capital Hospital and AIIMS here. Their condition is reportedly stable.