Nod to spread Nirmal scheme across Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: With an aim to provide better ambience to patients and their attendants at the public healthcare facilities, the state cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to revise the Nirmal scheme that aims to strengthen ancillary services at medical institutions.
The revised scheme will be implemented for a period of five years with an investment of Rs 1998 crore including the already approved Rs 550 crore in 2018-19. As many as 1864 health institutions including apex centres will be covered.
The scheme aims at maintaining cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in public health facilities.
“The Nirmal scheme was initially launched in 2018-19 with a budgetary support of Rs 550 crore for a period of five years at healthcare centres up to hospitals at district headquarters level. Based on its success in the first phase, it has been decided to expand the scheme to medical colleges and hospitals, Ayush colleges and hospitals and nursing schools and colleges,” said chief secretary Asit Tripathy. Of the total budget estimate, around Rs 1874 crore will be met from the state budget with another Rs 123 crore from the National Health Mission.
The cabinet also approved a proposal to set up a state health assurance society (SHAS) to deal with claims raised by private-empanelled hospitals for treating patients under Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BKKY) and Odisha State Treatment Fund (OSTF), which together came to be known as Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana since August 2018. Around 70 lakh families are covered under BKKY and OSTF.
State health secretary will be chairman of SHAS while mission director, National Health Mission, will be the chief executive officer of the society.
Among others, the cabinet also approved a series of proposals to keep up industrialization momentum in the state. It approved amendment to the relevant portions of Industrial Policy Resolution 2007 and 2015. Accordingly, incentives related to VAT, entry tax and entertainment tax are substituted by state GST incentive.
“The move will benefit around 300 industries in the state including micro, small and medium enterprises and large industries,” said the chief secretary.
To create a business-friendly atmosphere and to encourage industries to employ more workers in a hassle-free manner, the cabinet cleared the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. As a result, establishments and contractors employing less than 50 contractual labourers will not be required to obtain registration certificate or licence.