Karnataka Current Affairs – KAS/KPSC Exams – March 15th 2019
Only 360 private hospitals join government scheme in Karnataka
- Only 360 of more than 26,000 private healthcare providers in Karnataka have empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) scheme.
- The result: Poor patients visiting non-empanelled hospitals have to pay through the nose for treatment.
- The Centre-Karnataka initiative seeks to ensure every below-the-poverty-line family gets Rs 5 lakh annual coverage to avail best healthcare in the state.
- Recommended By Colombia 60 The empanelment of private hospitals is fraught with geographical distortions, raising questions on accessibility to the scheme.
- While Bengaluru and Belagavi have most — at 32 each — private hospitals under the scheme, Yadgir and Kodagu have none.
- Incidentally, 37 private hospitals from Hyderabad, Kurnool, Kolhapur, Miraj, Sangli and Solapur from neighbouring states also have empanelled.
- This has been allowed to cater to patients from border areas of the state.
- Low number of empanelment of private establishments means the best healthcare may not reach the deserving in critical times.
- A team of doctors from Bengaluru that visited Holy Cross Missionary Hospital, near Kollegal — where victims of a food-poisoning incident at Kichguth Maramma temple, Sulvadi, were admitted — was shocked to learn the hospital was still awaiting empanelment
- This is the only major private hospital in the region and draws poor people from the neighbourhood
Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka
- Ayushman Bharat Yojana has the distinction of world’s largest health insurance coverage scheme. It is called Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana or National Health Protection Scheme.
- It is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2018 through an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the Ayushman Bharat Mission of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, all the needy patients are provided best quality health care at a free/ affordable rate.
- In Karnataka, the scheme is merged with the Arogya Karnataka scheme. Under the arrangement, in Karnataka the below the health schemes are all merged with the Arogya Karnataka Scheme.
- Vajpayee Arogyashree, Yeshaswini Scheme
- Rajiv Arogya Bhagya Scheme
- Rashtriya Bala Swasthaya Karyakram (RBSK)
RashtriyaSwasthayaBimaYojana (RSBY) including RSBY for senior citizens - Cochlear Implant Scheme
- Mukhyamantri Santwana Harish Scheme, Indira Suraksha Yojane
- The scheme is made available across all the government and empanelled private hospitals. But one of the pre requirements required to avail this service is Arogya Karnataka health card.
