Bhubaneswar, Aug 20 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday launched the distribution of smart health cards under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) in Malkangiri district.

On the occasion Patnaik said, "For me, every life is precious. I wish everyone to be healthy. Money should never be a barrier for treatment. Everyone should remain healthy and work for the betterment of their families."

"Today, the BSKY is being launched in a new way, which will come into effect on September 1," he announced.

"About 3.5 crore people of 96 lakh families will get benefit from the move. In this type of no frills system, a person will simply go to a hospital with the card and avail all the treatments without any hassle," Patnaik added.

Claiming Odisha is the first state in the country to provide such cards, the Chief Minister said that the beneficiaries can avail health services in more than 200 hospital chains of the country.

It's a historic, paradigm shift in the system of healthcare services in India, where a patient will get the best healthcare without any expense, he claimed.

While families can avail treatment costs upto Rs 5 lakh per annum, for women members of the family, it is up to Rs 10 lakh. Sukri Dhangda Majhi from the Bonda community was the first recipient of the smart health card.

On Thursday, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had urged the state government to implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Odisha so that "poor people, especially those who are working in others states, can get benefit from it".