The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has requested the Union Health Ministry to allow beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat health scheme (PM-JAY) to simultaneously avail the benefits of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi Scheme in case the cost of treatment exceeds Rs. 5 lakhs i.e. the maximum permissible limit under PM-JAY.
The request to the Union Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan is made in the backdrop of the fact that in cases of life-threatening diseases the cost of treatment can be much more than Rs 5 lakhs, which becomes almost unaffordable for the poor patient. Last week, the commission received a complaint pertaining to the matter.
Recently, the Central Health Ministry rejected the proposal for allowing Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries to avail benefits of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi.
"The complainant has stated that the patients holding BPL card are not getting benefits of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi Scheme. If they have availed benefits of Ayushman Bharat health scheme, even if they are suffering from life-threatening diseases whose expenditure is much more than five lakhs that is the minimum permissible limit under Ayushman Bharat health scheme," read the NHRC letter.
"He has further stated that due to such discrepancies the people belonging to the most marginalized section of society are forced to sell their house, land and to take a loan on higher interest rates to cover the cost of treatment," it read further.
"He has requested the commission to ask the government to take immediate necessary actions so that poor patients can take benefit of the scheme i.e. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi Scheme and Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme (PMJay), in case of life-threatening diseases when expenditure exceeds Rs. 5 Lakh permitted under the PM-JAY scheme," stated the letter.
( With inputs from ANI )