The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Health cover likely for poor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Health cover likely for poor

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 13. The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, is said to have expressed a desire to cover all families below the poverty line under the proposed universal health insurance scheme with lowest possible premium. The scheme will provide for surgeries to children also suffering from heart ailments.

Dr. Reddy held discussions with Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Hrudayalaya of Bangalore, here on Friday on the steps to be taken for giving shape to the ambitious scheme. Dr. Shetty and his team arrived here today on the Government's invitation, even as children with heart ailments underwent surgeries at different hospitals in the city. The Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, the Principal Secretary, Health, S. Bhalerao, and representatives from Care and Apollo Hospitals were present.

Corpus fund

Dr. Shetty explained features of the `Yasashvini' scheme successfully implemented in Karnataka covering farmers' families coming under the cooperative fold. The view taken by the meeting was to float a corpus fund by mobilising contributions from the prospective beneficiaries and clubbing the same with Government grant. A proposal was to collect Rs. 10 per month from the beneficiaries. The agencies through which these collections could be made, however, were yet to be identified. The Chief Minister wanted the burden shared by the beneficiaries, private hospitals and the Government.

Dr. Shetty felt that the Yasashvini-type scheme could be implemented in Andhra Pradesh too if some investment was made on Government hospitals for purchase of equipment.

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Andhra Pradesh