Odisha Government Increases Food Grant by 30% for Hospital Patients

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday increased the food grant for patients undergoing treatment in government hospitals by 30 per cent, following the approval from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The revision applies to 618 government-run hospitals and will benefit over 42 lakh patients.

Under this decision, the amount given per bed has been raised from Rs 85 to Rs 110 per day, while children will now receive Rs 95 instead of Rs 75. High-nutrition food grant has been increased from Rs 95 to Rs 120, dry food from Rs 75 to Rs 95, and liquid food from Rs 85 to Rs 110 per day.

The State government’s annual expenditure on this initiative will be around Rs 64 Crore. This increase in the food grant aims to provide better care and support to patients during their hospital stay.

In addition to the enhanced food grant, the Odisha government has implemented various schemes to improve healthcare services. These include the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, offering free health treatment, the Nidan scheme for free diagnostic services, the Niramaya scheme providing free medicines, and the Sahaya scheme offering free dialysis, blood, and ambulance services.