Technical glitches hampering Ayushman Bharat scheme rollout in Odisha

Earlier this month, the Odisha government began the transition process of eligible health card beneficiaries of the state to the Ayushman Bharat scheme from the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).

Overseen by Union Health Minister JP Nadda, the rollout of the BJP government’s flagship scheme ensures Rs 5 lakh annual health coverage per family, with an additional Rs 5 lakh for women beneficiaries, effectively expanding the benefits compared to BSKY.

However, the transition is reportedly not on a smooth sail, with multiple software glitches reportedly hampering the process.

Software Issues Disrupting Implementation

From the beneficiary migration data to fresh registrations, several software-related hurdles are threatening a delay in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, according to Nilanjana Mukherjee, State Secretary of the All India Healthcare Providers Association.

In an interaction with OTV, she highlighted that the mandatory requirement of doctor-patient photographs has been met with resistance from medical professionals.

Additionally, the OTP generation time during patient registration, which has recently been reduced to 10 minutes, has created operational bottlenecks.

“Hospitals across the state are grappling with several technical problems that are affecting the effective execution of the scheme. Despite 78% of Odisha’s population being eligible beneficiaries, compared to the national average of 37%, the software is struggling to handle individual beneficiary cards under Ayushman Bharat.”

She also added that the new scheme’s individual card basis contrasts with the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), which operated on a per-family card system, lengthening processing and registrations.

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Lack of Pre-Authorisation Slows Down Treatment

Mukherjee also raised another major concern as the absence of a pre-approval or pre-authorisation mechanism under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, a feature that was available in BSKY. The mechanism will reportedly reduce delays in treatment and processing, she added.

Capping on Implants Complicates Patient Care

Odisha's hospitals also face restrictions on implant costs under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, stated sources.

Doctors need to carefully assess which pacemakers or spinal implants to use, as price caps vary and not all options are viable under the scheme's current limitations. As such, these constraints are making it difficult for hospitals to deliver optimal patient care, even though treatments themselves are not being delayed.

“Although critical care is being provided without delay, the registration and re-registration process for patients is significantly delayed. Priority should be given to finding ways to expedite this process,” said Nilanjana Mukherjee.

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Memorandum Submitted to the Government

To address these challenges, the All India Healthcare Providers Association has submitted a memorandum to the state government. The aim is to initiate dialogue and find sustainable solutions for the smooth functioning of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha.

A response from the state government regarding this memorandum is awaited.