PM-JAY portal snags leave patients in a spot in Odisha
CUTTACK: The recent launch of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) in Odisha might have brought with itself the promise of an improved healthcare delivery system, but the complexities in its implementation on the ground has left patients and healthcare personnel in a sticky situation.
In such a scenario, patients with life-threatening diseases, given the time-sensitive nature of their conditions, are more at risk as delay in treatment can pose severe consequences.
In a recent instance, a 52-year-old brain stroke patient, who was in coma and required immediate surgery, was turned away by a city-based private hospital because he could not undergo the iris scanning. Unable to avail the scheme's benefits and the pricey ICU charges left his family with no other option than to leave the hospital. He was, however, lucky as the next hospital he got admitted to, carried out his iris scanning during the CT scanning procedure, and his surgery was conducted smoothly.
In another case, family members of a 42-year-old man suffering from strangulated hernia had to pay cash to conduct his surgery as there appeared a glitch while uploading his ration card on the portal. Though they visited the Jan Seva Kendra for help and also dialled the helpline number 104, nothing could solve their problem. Since there is possibility of gangrene if strangulated hernia is not operated within 48 hours, the family members had no other option than to pay cash for surgery.
The protocol used in the earlier Bjiu Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) was very simple. Any member of the family could enrol the patient under the scheme just by using his Aadhaar card. But, in AB PM-JAY, self-identification through iris scanner is necessary which is often difficult in some cases, especially when a patient is in coma stage, said a doctor who runs a private hospital.
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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Why Ayushman Bharat payments are stalled in Jharkhand
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It provides a cover of Rs 5 lakhs per family per year to eligible beneficiaries for hospitalisation expenses in both government and empanelled private hospitals. At the moment, some 750 hospitals in Jharkhand are registered under the scheme, according to the Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Current eligibility extends to the bottom 40% households, which is calculated based on deprivation and occupational data from the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011. The Prime Minister last year announced that coverage will soon be extended to all citizens aged 70 years and above. The cost of implementation of AB PM-JAY is shared between the Central and State Governments in a 60:40 ratio. According to Jharkhand officials, around 28 lakh families (some 1.5 crore people) are enrolled under AB PM-JAY in Jharkhand, with another 38 lakh families (roughly 2 crore people) covered through the state-run Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana, for which the state bears the full cost. The way these schemes work is that beneficiaries are issued insurance cards, using which they can avail healthcare services in empanelled hospitals. These hospitals are then reimbursed on actuals by the government from the funds allocated under the scheme. Officials have confirmed to The Indian Express that there is no shortage of funds under the AB PM-JAY scheme, with Rs 2,284 crore allocated to the hospitals over the last 7 years. The problem is that beginning last year, the disbursement of these funds to hospitals has stalled. This is due to two main reasons. 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Babulal Marandi, the state chief of the BJP and the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, accused Hemant Soren's government of failing to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state. 'Ayushman Bharat, launched by PM Modi from Jharkhand, is now barely functional here,' Marandi said. He claimed that over 500 hospitals have not been paid since February 25, and more than 200 haven't received dues for the past 10 months. 'Hospitals are shutting Ayushman services. Patients are being left in the lurch,' he said. Health Minister Ansari, while countering the former CM's allegations, said that until the ongoing investigation is completed, no hospital will be paid. Ansari claimed that several hospitals linked to BJP leaders are under scrutiny. 'Let me be clear — those misusing the Ayushman scheme for corruption will not be spared,' he said. Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India. Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
It's still the fields as toilets in Nandurbar's tribal communities remain on paper
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The Hindu
3 days ago
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47 ‘minor' girls rescued from four shrimp processing units in Nellore district
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