Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday once again requested Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in the state.

"Once again, I appeal Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Odisha so that the poor people are not deprived of quality healthcare in the state," Vardhan said at the AIIMS in Bhubaneswar.

Earlier, the state government had rejected the proposal, saying that it is implementing the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana for the people.

The Union Health Minister along with Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled the statue of former Prime Minister, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at AIIMS and dedicated the patient care facilities to the people.

Vardhan also said that six District Headquarters Hospitals in Odisha are being developed into government medical colleges and two more are to come up in two aspirational districts.

He said the Centre will take a decision after scrutinising the proposal of the state government for setting up the two remaining hospitals in the state.

Pradhan also requested the state government to implement the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

"Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to providing qualitative healthcare facility to the people of Odisha. Forty departments have been opened in the campus with 1,000 bed facility," said Pradhan.