Ayushman Bharat PMJAY; a mission ensuring safe health of future India

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Here is a golden opportunity for the urban poor, as Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the free-of-cost health insurance scheme, assures of providing quality health service and prompt medical facilities, like the private insurance companies offer to the citizens of medium and high-income groups.

The Centre-sponsored scheme offers medical treatment facilities to each family up to Rs 5 lakh at the nearest government hospitals or empanelled private reputed hospitals.

According to reliable sources, “ The district has been given a target of preparing 23.29 lakh cards, out of which, the eKYC of more than 7 lakh citizens has been done till date. Meanwhile, the target for the city is 4,35,352, out of which, under Phase II (implemented from November 4, 2023), 57,784 cards have been prepared till February 15, 2024. The private Common Service Centres (CSCs) also prepare the health card on payment of a certain fee.”

Phase II underway

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) health section is implementing the scheme in the city limits.

The municipal officer of health (MoH), Dr Paras Mandlecha confirmed that 45,045 cards were made during the Phase I which was implemented in the city from April to August 2023. “ Under Phase II, we have deployed our ground staff and field workers in every ward, activated health staff and through meticulous planning succeeded in preparing more than 57,000 cards till todate,” said Dr Mandlecha.

MoH added, “ To give momentum to the scheme, a special drive has been introduced at all our 34 primary health centres and six hospitals from February 14 to 17. Our health staff will help in filling an online form for eKYC registration (of the card) from 10 am to 5 pm. The facility is free of cost. Later on, the card will be delivered at home or can be downloaded online. The e-registration facility is also made available at our 12 Aapla Dawakhana/Arogya Vardhini Kendra from 12 noon to 8 pm.”

The assistant MoH, Dr Archana Rane and her team is looking after the implementation of the scheme in the city limits.

Box

Documents Required

Saffron colour and Yellow colour ration card-holder (White colour also, but not yet confirmed) are eligible for eKYC.

Ration Card (should be seeded by the District Supply Office).

Aadhar Card should be linked with a mobile number.

Box

The scheme offers treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

No cap on family size, age or gender.

It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalisation and 15 days post-hospitalisation expenses (diagnostics and medicines), food, etc. All pre-existing conditions are covered from day one, apart from complications arising during treatment.

The scheme covers treatment for nearly 24 specialities that include super speciality care like oncology, neurosurgery, and cardio-thoracic and cardiovascular surgery etc. The treatment facility will be available in the below mentioned government and private empanelled hospitals of the city.

Government Hospitals

Government Medical College and Cancer Hospital.

Government Medical College and Hospital.

District Hospital.

Private Hospitals

There are 26 private hospitals offering treatment to PMJAY beneficiaries. This includes Dr Hedgewar Hospital, MGM Hospital, Kamalnayan Bajaj Hospital, Seth Nandlal Dhoot Hospital and United Ciigma Hospital.

Box

Where is PMJAY district coordinator?

An official Ravi Bhopale has been appointed as the district coordinator of the PMJAY scheme. However, the gentleman took no pains to reply to a single call out of 5-6 phone calls made to him between 11 am and 5.30 pm. Hence the status of the cards in rural parts of the district was not available.