Bhubaneswar: The health and family welfare department has decided to waive user fee at outpatient departments in state-run hospitals from August 15.

The decision has been taken to reduce expenses of patients at public health care units in Odisha. The service will be provided absolutely free of cost at the outpatients departments. However, nominal fees will be collected towards cabin charges for patient who will have to be admitted for treatment.

In a letter to all district collectors, health department secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda said that free services would be provided at all public health care facilities, including district headquarters hospital, from August 15. Only those undergoing treatment at the hospital will have to pay cabin charges.

At present, the hospital authorities collect Rs 5 as user fees from those seeking treatment at the outpatient department.

"The user fee was collected for institutional development, but now it will be met from the state budget. The plan of free health care services will be implemented under the Nidaan scheme," said Meherda.

Besides introducing free health care services at the outpatients units, the health and family welfare department has also decided come up with an online dashboard to record real time data of patients admitted to the hospital. The records will be used during follow-up visits of patients.

"The government has introduced several schemes such as universal eye care programme, free generic medicine programme, ancillary scheme and free diabetics diagnostic services for the benefit of poor patients. The user fee waiver will have far reaching results," said a health department official.

Citizens have welcomed the move to waive fees.

"The government is steadily making strides in improving health care services at the state-run hospitals. The fee waiver is a welcome move. Now the government should shift focus to improve infrastructure of health care units," said social worker Alok Kar.

Aakash Dash, who works as an attendant to patients at Capital Hospital, expressed happiness at the decision.

"Though the fee is minimal, it does impact the poor," said Pipili resident Aakash.