Six crore people in UP to get Ayushman Bharat Health scheme

| | Lucknow | in Lucknow

As many as six crore people from 1.18 families of Uttar Pradesh will be benefitted by free medical treatment under Health insurance scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat National Protection Mission’, announced by the Centre in the Union Budget for 2018-19 in February. The beneficiaries would be entitled for annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and get free medical facility in private and government hospitals. Most beneficiaries will be from sociallly and economically backward caste as families included in Socio-economic Caste Census (SECC), 2011 are the targeted social group under the scheme. The state government started the process of implementation of the ambitious scheme. 

State -level and district committees have already been set up and have been asked to expedite the process of enlisting hospitals for implementation of the insurance scheme. Chief Secretary Anoop Chandra Pandey said on Tuesday that families covered in SECC will be provided medical treatment for secondary, tertiary and other serious ailments free-of-cost.   He said that for implementation of the scheme, district implementation units would be set up in each of 75 districts. He said that directions have been issued to district magistrates for recruitment of staff for these units which will have a District Programme Co-ordinator, one District Information System Manager and one District Grievance Manager. Pandey said that beneficiaries of the health insurance scheme would get free medical treatment in hospitals enlisted under the scheme.

For facility of beneficiaries, ‘Ayushman Mitras’ will be appointed in each district. He said they would help patients in availing facilities under the insurance scheme like identification of beneficiary, pre-authorisation of treatment package and providing assistance in admission of patients in hospitals. The Ayushaman Mitras would get a monthly honorarium of Rs 5,000 and Rs 50 as incentive on each beneficiary of the health insurance scheme.The Chief Secretary also directed officials of Health department to ensure that `Prdhan Mantri Jan Aushadi Kendra’ were opened in each district where medicines at rates far lower than market rates were available to common men. So far, such kendras have been opened in 62 districts and were to be opened in remaining 13 districts. District Magistrates of these 13 districts have been asked to arrange for accommodation for Aushadi Kendras.