Bhubaneswar: The Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, Saturday announced that the state government is launching the ASHA Kalyan Yojana which will benefit more than 47,000 ASHA workers in the state.
With the launching of the Yojana, ASHA workers will get a monthly incentives of Rs 1,000, one-time honorarium of Rs 10,000 to serving ASHA worker on attaining age of 60 years, compensation of Rs 1 lakh on death, enhanced compensation for permanent disability up to Rs 1 lakh and support under ASHA education programme.
The Yojana would cost Rs 56 crore to the government exchequer.
Naveen Saturday reviewed the activities of National Health Mission. The review meeting was participated by district collectors and chief district medical officers(CDMOs) through video conferencing.
The chief minister has also said that financial support of Rs 1000 would be provided as transportation cost to pregnant women from inaccessible areas to facilitate their institutional delivery. The amount which is reimbursed would be paid into the bank account of the beneficiaries along with the JSY payment through DBT(direct benefit transfer).
“The government will provide financial support for pregnant women from difficult villages where 102/108 ambulances or four-wheeler vehicle cannot reach,” Naveen said in the review meeting. He said that the entire cost will be covered under ‘SAMMPurNA ‘ scheme funded entirely by state budget. The scheme would cost Rs 6 crore to the exchequer, he added.
A total of 7853 villages covering all the 30 districts would be covered under the scheme. More than 60,000 pregnant women would be benefited from this scheme annually.
News reports that pregnant women are being carried to hospital on cot or shoulders made the government to take the decision to pay Rs 1000 to those who are coming on their own due to non-availability of ambulances.
As per initial assessment report received from districts, about 7,853 villages covering all 30 districts would be covered under the scheme. It is expected that more than 60,000 pregnant women would be benefited annually.
Naveen also launched the NHM Employees’ Welfare Fund which will provide compensation up to Rs 6 lakh on death or permanent disability above 80 per cent and compensation up to Rs 2.5 lakh for partial disability. “It will also provide for reimbursement of the cost of medical expenses up to Rs 3 lakh in a year for the critical health condition,” he said.
The chief minister dedicated several health infrastructure during this review meeting. Eleven primary health center buildings in five districts, two primary health center buildings in urban area of two districts, four mother and child health building in four districts, and 300 sub-center buildings in 28 districts. These infrastructures were build with a cost of Rs131.29 crore.
