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State’s response poor to health insurance plan

PATIALA: Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna’ — a mega health scheme launched by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh last month — seems to have got a poor response.

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Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 4

Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna’ — a mega health scheme launched by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh last month — seems to have got a poor response.

In fact, 450 hospitals across the state were empanelled for 46 lakh targeted families but only 2,114 people have availed themselves of benefits under the scheme since its launch on August 20.

According to the officials concerned, 1,332 people were hospitalised at government hospitals and 782 at private ones under the scheme.

When thousands of patients, especially poor people, get treatment at government hospitals in the state every day, the number of hospitalisation cases under the scheme suggests that its implementation needs a relook, say experts.

Moreover, lack of awareness about the scheme among the doctors of government hospitals has become a hurdle in a better implementation of the scheme. Most patients don’t carry documents required to generate the e-card on the spot at district hospitals.

A district coordinator, pleading anonymity, said: “Patients who reach the emergency ward either don’t have Aadhaar card or they hardly believe in the fact they will get the cashless benefits. They complain that there are already so many health schemes which are on paper only.”

Work initiated much before scheme launch

As many as 17. 36 lakh e-cards had been generated in the state. The government had started registration in each of the 22 districts, at all Common Service Centres (CSC) and empanelled hospitals from August 1.

However, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Anurag Aggarwal said: “It’s just a beginning. It is a very good response if we compare with other states. We are much better.”

Under the scheme, following families could avail themselves of cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh: 20.43 lakh smart ration cardholder families; 14.86 lakh families enrolled as per Socio-Economic Caste Census data; 4.94 lakh farmer families; 2.8 lakh small farmers’ families; 2.38 lakh construction workers’ families registered with the state construction welfare board and 46,000 families of small traders.

Rajindra Hospital sans medicines 

A tertiary healthcare institution, Government Rajindra Hospital, which caters to patients from seven districts of the Malwa region, has run out of medicines. Patients have to buy expensive medicines from private shops.

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