News Analysis India

Tag: Ayushman Bharat

  • MP shocker: Ayushman Bharat scheme beneficiaries found being treated by in closed hotel in Jabalpur

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Surprise police raid at a closed hotel in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh, revealed that a makeshift hospital was being run there, by those owning the hotel as well as the adjacent private hospital. Most of the patients admitted at the hotel-cum-makeshift hospital were beneficiaries of the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

    According to Jabalpur district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr Sanjay Mishra, the entire operation on Saturday was carried out by the district police, following specific information about the hotel (closed since the COVID pandemic) being used to run a makeshift medical facility, particularly to cater to the medical needs of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

    “The police team was accompanied by Dr Adarsh Vishnoi, the nodal officer for the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Jabalpur district and another official of the health department. The police action in the company of health department staff, not only revealed that a hospital was being run at the hotel without any permission from the health department but a CT scan centre too was being operated at the basement of the same non-operational Hotel Vega,” Mishra said.

    The makeshift hospital at the hotel was being run by the family which operates the adjacent Central India Kidney Hospital. The private hospital is operated by the family of Dr Ashwini Pathak, a prominent nephrologist of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose government medical college in Jabalpur only.

    The Hotel Vega which is adjacent to the hotel was operated by Dr Pathak’s son, but hasn’t been functioning since the COVID pandemic.

    Visuals of the police raid at the hotel revealed that around 70 Ayushman Bharat scheme beneficiaries were being treated at the non-operational hotel sans proper facilities. In many rooms, two patients were being treated on one bed.

    Most of these Ayushman Bharat scheme beneficiary patients hailed from districts adjoining Jabalpur district, including Damoh district.

    According to a senior health department official, the district police has been told clearly that the hospital had not been given any permission to run a medical facility at the non-operational hotel.

    The official added the possibility of fraud in the Ayushman Bharat scheme through the admission of patients from neighbouring districts at the hotel functioning as a hospital, cannot be ruled out, but further probe is needed.

    However, Dr Ashwini Pathak, whose family runs the Central India Kidney Hospital as well as owns the non-operational Vega Hotel, denied any foul play or wrongdoing at the hospital being run at the closed hotel.

    “It’s not a hotel anymore, but we’re running 100 beds medical facility thereafter permission from the Victoria (District Hospital). We’re not charging a single rupee from the Ayushman Bharat scheme card holders,” he claimed.

    BHOPAL: Surprise police raid at a closed hotel in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh, revealed that a makeshift hospital was being run there, by those owning the hotel as well as the adjacent private hospital. Most of the patients admitted at the hotel-cum-makeshift hospital were beneficiaries of the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

    According to Jabalpur district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr Sanjay Mishra, the entire operation on Saturday was carried out by the district police, following specific information about the hotel (closed since the COVID pandemic) being used to run a makeshift medical facility, particularly to cater to the medical needs of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

    “The police team was accompanied by Dr Adarsh Vishnoi, the nodal officer for the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Jabalpur district and another official of the health department. The police action in the company of health department staff, not only revealed that a hospital was being run at the hotel without any permission from the health department but a CT scan centre too was being operated at the basement of the same non-operational Hotel Vega,” Mishra said.

    The makeshift hospital at the hotel was being run by the family which operates the adjacent Central India Kidney Hospital. The private hospital is operated by the family of Dr Ashwini Pathak, a prominent nephrologist of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose government medical college in Jabalpur only.

    The Hotel Vega which is adjacent to the hotel was operated by Dr Pathak’s son, but hasn’t been functioning since the COVID pandemic.

    Visuals of the police raid at the hotel revealed that around 70 Ayushman Bharat scheme beneficiaries were being treated at the non-operational hotel sans proper facilities. In many rooms, two patients were being treated on one bed.

    Most of these Ayushman Bharat scheme beneficiary patients hailed from districts adjoining Jabalpur district, including Damoh district.

    According to a senior health department official, the district police has been told clearly that the hospital had not been given any permission to run a medical facility at the non-operational hotel.

    The official added the possibility of fraud in the Ayushman Bharat scheme through the admission of patients from neighbouring districts at the hotel functioning as a hospital, cannot be ruled out, but further probe is needed.

    However, Dr Ashwini Pathak, whose family runs the Central India Kidney Hospital as well as owns the non-operational Vega Hotel, denied any foul play or wrongdoing at the hospital being run at the closed hotel.

    “It’s not a hotel anymore, but we’re running 100 beds medical facility thereafter permission from the Victoria (District Hospital). We’re not charging a single rupee from the Ayushman Bharat scheme card holders,” he claimed.

  • Implementation of Ayushman Bharat Centres scheme on track in most states: Report

    In February 2018, the government announced 1,50,000 AB-HWCs to be established across India by December 2022.

  • PM Modi launches Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission in Varanasi

    By PTI

    VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure, from his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

    The prime minister also inaugurated various development projects worth more than Rs 5,200 crore for his constituency.

    The Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country.

    It is in addition to the National Health Mission.

    Its objective is to fill gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas.

    It will provide support for 17,788 rural health and wellness centres in 10 high focus states.

    Further, 11,024 urban health and wellness centres will be established in all the states.

    Through this, critical care services will be available in all the districts of the country with more than five lakh population through exclusive critical care hospital blocks, while the remaining districts will be covered through referral services.

    People will have access to a full range of diagnostic services in the public healthcare system through a network of laboratories across the country, and integrated public health labs will be set up in all the districts.

    Under the scheme, a national institution for one health, four new national institutes for virology, a regional research platform for WHO South East Asia Region, nine biosafety level-III laboratories, five new regional national centre for disease control will be set up.

    Earlier in the day, the prime minister inaugurated nine medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh virtually from Siddharthnagar.

    Built at a cost of Rs 2,329 crore, the medical colleges inaugurated on Monday are located in Siddharthnagar, Etah, Hardoi, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Deoria, Ghazipur, Mirzapur and Jaunpur districts.

    While eight medical colleges have been sanctioned under a Centrally sponsored scheme for establishment of new medical colleges attached with district or referral hospitals, the one in Jaunpur has been made functional by the state government through its own resources.

  • Govt hikes rates of procedures under Ayushman Bharat, black fungus management added under scheme

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government has revised the rates of around 400 procedures under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and added a new medical package related to black fungus management, moves that “will strengthen the empanelled hospitals to provide better healthcare services”.

    In the revised Health Benefit Package (HBP 2.2), the National Health Authority (NHA) which implements the AB PM-JAY scheme has raised the rates of packages by 20 per cent to 400 per cent.

    Under medical management procedures, the rates for ICU with ventilator support has been revised by 100 per cent and without ventilator by 136 per cent, while the rates for HDU (High Dependency Unit) has been revised by 22 per cent and the prices for routine ward has been revised by 17 percent, it said.

    “In the revised version of Health Benefit Package (HBP 2.2), rates of some health packages have been increased by 20 percent to 400 per cent under PM-JAY. Around 400 procedure rates have been revised and one new additional medical management package related to black fungus has also been added,” the ministry said.

    “I am glad that the revised version of Health Benefit Packages (HBP 2.2) will strengthen the empanelled hospitals to provide better healthcare services to the beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY. The revised packages for oncology will enhance cancer care for the beneficiaries in the country,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Madaviya said.

    “(The) Addition of new packages related to black fungus will be a huge relief to the beneficiaries. I am sure that the rationalised HBP will further improve the uptake of scheme in private hospitals leading to reduced out-of-pocket expenditure for the beneficiaries,” he said.

    National Health Authority CEO Dr R S Sharma said the NHA constantly works on the feedback received from stakeholders for rationalisation of health benefit package.

    State Health Agencies (SHAs) currently implementing any of the previous versions of HBP can now accept and implement HBP 2.2, Sharma said.

    The NHA has undertaken rate revision in the categories which include radiation oncology procedures, medical management procedures like those for dengue, acute febrile illness etc, surgical package treatment for black fungus and other procedures like right/left heart catheterisation, PDA closure, arthrodesis, cholecystectomy, appendicectomy etc.

    Currently, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY covers 1,669 treatment procedures out of which 1,080 are surgical, 588 medical and one unspecified package.

    The Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY aims to achieve the target of universal health coverage and provide access to free and affordable healthcare services to the citizens residing in the remotest of the areas.

    In 2018, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY was launched with the HBP 1.0 with a total of 1,393 packages.

    The scheme aims to provide free and cashless healthcare services up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year to over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families (over 53 crore beneficiaries) as per Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC)-2011 database.

    Since the inception of the scheme, more than 2.2 crore eligible AB-PMJAY beneficiaries have been provided with health coverage for secondary, tertiary and daycare procedures for the treatment of diseases and medical conditions through a vast network of 24,000 Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP), the statement said.

    The Health Benefit Package (HBP) defines the scope of healthcare services being provided and also determines the extent of financial risk protection to the beneficiaries, the statement said.

  • Ayushman Bharat: Over 20 lakh tests, 7.25 lakh Covid related treatments authorised from April 2020-July 2021

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Under the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme over 20 lakh tests and 7.25 lakh COVID-19 related treatments worth over Rs 2,800 crore were authorised from April 2020 to July 2021, officials said.

    Since the launch of the health insurance scheme on September, 23, 2018, over 2 crore hospital admissions estimated to be worth more than Rs 25,000 crore have been authorised across the country under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY) till August 17.

    Around 16.50 crore beneficiaries have been verified and provided with Ayushman cards.

    On an average, approximately 28 beneficiaries are verified per minute and atleast 20 pre-authorisations take place per minute under the scheme, an official source said.

    “Under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, over 20 lakh tests and 7.25 lakh COVID-19 related treatments worth over Rs 2,800 crore were authorised from April 2020 to July 2021. The insurance scheme allows the beneficiaries to avail free testing and treatment across all empanelled — both public and private — hospitals,” an official said.

    Also, women account for 45 per cent of the total authorised hospital admissions, the sources said.

    General medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, medical oncology and opthamology are among top specialities and procedures availed by the women beneficiaries under the scheme.

    Also 50 per cent of the around 11 crore individuals verified under the PM-JAY IT system are women.

  • Ayushman Bharat ensures both poor, well-off get same treatment: Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said the Ayushman Bharat scheme has enabled poor people to afford treatment at the same hospital like the well-off.

    Chairing an event Arogya Dhara-2.0 to mark the completion of 2 crore treatments under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), he also launched key initiatives like Adhikar Patra, Abhinandan Patra and Ayushman Mitra.

    With the completion of more than 2 crore hospital admissions landmark on Tuesday, treatments worth approximately Rs 25,000 crore have been provided till date through a growing network of 23,000 public and private empaneled hospitals to patients across 33 states and union territories in the country since the launch of the scheme on September 23, 2018, the health ministry said.

    “Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is an ambitious scheme ensuring quality and affordable healthcare for the poor and underprivileged people. The scheme has empowered all eligible beneficiaries with cashless and paperless healthcare services benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year. Thus, many disadvantaged sections can afford treatment without turning to moneylenders,” Mandaviya was quoted as saying in the statement.

    On the government’s work towards universal health coverage in India, he noted, “Prime Minister’s humble background enables him to feel the pain of the poor and helpless.” Mandaviya exhorted common people to spread the word of the scheme so that more and more people are enrolled for medical care under the programme.

    Citing examples from his personal life, the minister noted that the scheme has enabled poor people to afford treatment at the same hospital like his well-off peer. He also virtually inaugurated Arogya Dhara 2.0 to increase the reach of AB PMJAY programme to the poorest of the poor households in the country and to make the beneficiaries aware about the scheme.

    The key initiatives also launched on the occasion are Adhikar Patra, Abhinandan Patra and Ayushman Mitra.

    Adhikar Patra will be issued to the beneficiaries during their hospital admissions for treatment under PM-JAY scheme to make them aware about their rights so that they can claim free and cashless healthcare services up to Rs 5 lakh under the scheme, the ministry said.

    Abhinandan Patra, a ‘thank you note’, will be issued to the beneficiaries during their discharge after the treatment under PM-JAY for availing the benefits of AB PM-JAY scheme. The Abhinandan Patra is also accompanied by a feedback form to be filled in by the beneficiary regarding the service they received under the scheme.

    Ayushman Mitra is an another key initiative launched which provides an opportunity to all citizens to contribute to the vision of Ayushman Bharat by helping eligible people to get their Ayushman Cards created and bring them under the ambit of the scheme.

    National Health Authority CEO Dr RS Sharma lauded the NHA’s robust IT platforms for enabling a simpler, fast, cashless, transparent and paperless entire claim process for beneficiaries to seek financial aid Rs 5 lakh in a time bound manner anywhere in the country and hoped to soon achieve the government’s target of verifying and enrolling over 50 crore beneficiaries under the scheme.

  • Centre nod to creation of reserve fund for health from cess proceeds levied under Finance Act

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN) as a single reserve fund for share of health from the proceeds of health and education cess levied under the Finance Act, 2007.

    The Centre said the salient feature of PMSSN is that it is a single, non-lapsable reserve fund for health in the public account and proceeds of share of health in the health and education cess will be credited into it.

    The accruals, said the government, into the PMSSN will be utilised for the flagship schemes of the health ministry such as Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Health and Wellness Centres, National Health Mission and Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

    It could also be utilised for emergency and disaster preparedness and responses during health emergencies and any future programmes or schemes that targets to achieve progress towards sustainable development goals and the targets set out in the National Health Policy, 2017.

    The administration and maintenance of the PMSSN are entrusted to the health ministry. The expenditure on such schemes of the ministry would be initially incurred from the PMSSN and thereafter, from gross budgetary support.

    “The major benefit will be enhanced access to universal and affordable health care through availability of earmarked resources, while ensuring that the amount does not lapse at the end of financial year,” maintained the health ministry.

  • Centre approves creation of PM Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for the share of health from the proceeds of health and education cess levied under the Finance Act, 2007.

    The Centre in a statement said that the salient feature of PMSSN is that it is a non-lapsable reserve fund for health in the public account and proceeds of the share of health in the health and education cess will be credited into.

    The accruals into the PMSSN will be utilised for the flagship schemes of the health ministry such as Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Health and Wellness Centres, National Health Mission, and Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, said the government.

    It could also be utilised for emergency and disaster preparedness and responses during health emergencies and any future programmes or schemes that target to achieve progress towards sustainable development goals and the targets set out in the National Health Policy, 2017.

    The administration and maintenance of the PMSSN are entrusted to the health ministry and in any financial year, the expenditure on such schemes of the ministry would be initially incurred from the PMSSN and thereafter, from gross budgetary support, the official released by the government said.

    “The major benefit will be enhanced access to universal and affordable health care through the availability of earmarked resources while ensuring that the amount does not lapse at the end of the financial year,” maintained the health ministry.

    In the budget speech 2018, the finance minister while announcing the ambitious Ayushman Bharat Scheme had mentioned the replacement of 3 % education cess by 4 % cess that was to be applied over health and education in the country.

  • Rajasthan launches major health insurance scheme, to benefit 1.1 crore families

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: The Congress government in Rajasthan has launched a major health insurance scheme starting from January 30 — the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. 

    The scheme, launched by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday, will provide health care benefits to around 1 crore 10 lakh poor families.

    This new scheme combines the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat scheme of the Modi dispensation and the Bhamashah scheme of former CM Vasundhara Raje’s regime. The scheme has been named as Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Health Insurance Scheme.

    Besides covering the major diseases, the new Rajasthan scheme will include Covid-19 care and haemodialysis for poor patients. The added benefits will cost the state government an additional amount of around Rs 41 crore annually.

    Under the scheme, poor patients can avail its benefits from 5 days before admission into a hospital and till 15 days after they are discharged. The scheme will cost Rs 1400 crore  to the state and Rs 400 crore to the central government every year.

    The beneficiaries will have to produce their Aadhar Card or Janadhar Card to avail the services. The Gehlot government is now planning to make the scheme inter-state portable.

    Launching the scheme, CM Gehlot asserted that they have created a revamped and hybrid scheme as the number of beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme is just around 60 lakh families in the state. “By using other socio-economic and food security parameters, a much larger proportion of population can be covered in Rajasthan.”

  • E-card to be made free under Khabchand Baghel Health Support Scheme

    Free ‘e-card’ of all eligible patients coming to OPD and IPD in all registered government health centers and all private hospitals registered under the scheme as per the eligibility of the scheme under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Arogya Yojana and Dr. Khubchand Baghel Health Assistance Scheme. ‘Will be made. Under the plan, District Hospital Kondagaon, MCH Hospital Kondagaon, Primary Health Center Kondagaon, Community Health Center Farsgaon, Keshkal, Makkar, Vishrampuri and Community Health Center Mardapal, Dhanora and Primary Health Center Lanjora, Badongar, Bahigaon, Adega, Baskot, Budabatar, Antapur, Salna , Randhana, Chipavand, Iragaon, Konagud, Shampur, Baderajpur, Lubha, Badeknera, Dahinkonga, Bamhani, Bunagaon, Bayanar, Sonabal, KNH Hospital, Shivamrita Hospital and Ekta Hospital in Kondagaon. Cards will be made. Ration card and Aadhar card will be required for this. CMHO Dr. TR Kuwar has urged the beneficiaries to bring ration card and Aadhaar card along with them at the hospital and get the e-card free under the scheme.