All medical tests conducted within three days prior to a patient’s hospital admission will now be covered under the Ayushman Health card, Odisha health minister Mukesh Mahaling announced on Saturday.

“It will ease the financial burden on patients and ensure comprehensive healthcare support. We have issued instructions to all private hospitals to comply with the directives. Those who fail to adhere to the guidelines will be taken to task, and stringent action will be taken against them,” Mahaling said.

To ensure patients receive the benefits under the scheme, the state government has constituted a high-level committee to monitor its implementation. Health officials said the committee would conduct surprise inspections at private hospitals to ensure strict compliance with the rules. An awareness programme will also be launched.

Earlier, the state government received numerous complaints that private hospitals were not reimbursing tests conducted before admission under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Many critically ill patients faced difficulties as they required multiple tests before admission. Private hospitals allegedly ignored these tests, causing financial hardship and mental distress to patients.

After the Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP government came to power, it renamed the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana as the Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana and later integrated it with the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme. The scheme provides health cover of ₹5 lakh per family annually, with an additional ₹5 lakh for women.