GULBARGA: The Yeshaswini Cooperative Farmers' Health Insurance Scheme launched by the State Government in November 2002 has caught the attention of the World Bank, Rockefeller Foundation and the Harvard University for replicating it elsewhere in the world, especially in poor African countries.

Medical Director of the Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College P.S. Shankar, who inaugurated a workshop on Yeshaswini, said a team of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Harvard varsity was already in the State studying the implementation of the scheme. Dr. Shankar also launched the membership drive taken up by a non-governmental organisation World Vision in five villages with an aim to bring 1.8 lakh under the Yeshaswini network.

Dr. Shankar said Karnataka was the pioneer in the country to launch the medical insurance scheme for members of cooperative institutions and now this had been extended to weavers who were members of the cooperatives. The people should avail themselves of the scheme which covered costly treatment and surgeries except implants, joint replacement surgeries, transplants, chemotherapy, cosmetic surgery, burn cases, dental surgeries and prosthesis.

He said the ceiling for members under the scheme was Rs. 2 lakh per annum per individual and cashless services had been extended to members in all the participating hospitals. At present, more than 260 hospitals, including super-speciality hospitals, have been networked under the scheme.

Dr. Shankar said recently more treatments and medical emergency cases were included under the purview of the scheme. Now it covered dog bite, snake bite, injury owing to goring by bull, drowning, accidental poisoning, electric shock, injury caused by agricultural implements, road accidents and burns.

Maternity benefit

The scheme also provided cover for normal delivery of babies. Maternity benefit would be available for the first two pregnancies.

Dr. Shankar said the Yeshaswini scheme also provided coverage for neo-natal care, including the treatment of children born prematurely or with low birth weight.

A member of the cooperative, who has been a member in the society for a minimum period of six months, can become a member under the scheme along with membership for his wife and two children. The insurance premium to be paid by members under the scheme was Rs. 120 per annum for adult members and Rs. 60 for children.

The World Vision would take up an awareness campaign in all the five villages covered by them in the district for the next three months and start the membership drive from January.

The Medical Superintendent of the Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital, Shivraj Alshetty, presided over the function. S.S. Hiremath, PRO of the hospital, welcomed the gathering.

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