MPs take up issue of free treatment of infants under RBSK

Members of the Parliament from the State, K. Muraleedharan and Kodikkunnil Suresh, have written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, demanding that the Centre intervene to resolve the impasse between National Health Mission (NHM) and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), which has virtually put a halt to the free treatment offered to children with critical congenital illnesses at the SCTIMST under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).

In separate memorandums written to Dr Harsh Vardhan, both MPs pointed out that it was deplorable that technicalities and bureaucratic tussles were being allowed to come in the way of the treatment of infants with critical congenital illnesses from poor families, leaving their lives hanging in balance.

Package rates

Mr. Muraleedharan requested Dr Harsh Vardhan to look into the long-standing issue of non acceptance of package rates of Centrally sponsored programmes by the SCTIMST, which was affecting the treatment of poor patients.

Earlier also, the institute had refused to accept the treatment package rates under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY health insurance scheme, Mr. Muraleedharan pointed out.

Need for a mechanism

Both Mr. Muraleedharan and Mr. Suresh asked Dr Harsh Vardhan to evolve a mechanism by which the treatment of poor children from other States could be reimbursed to the NHM from the RBSK funds that is available to the respective States.