The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Health cards for 1.80 crore families soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 06, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Health cards for 1.80 crore families soon

State Government to recruit 1,638 doctors by September-end

Beneficiaries can utilise medical facilities in speciality hospitals
The scheme will cover all districts by November next year

HYDERABAD: The State Government has decided to issue health cards to 1.80 crore below poverty line families that enables the beneficiaries to utilise medical facilities in speciality hospitals up to a sum of Rs. 2 lakh at Government cost.

Review meet

A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday at a review meeting with Medical Education and Health Insurance Minister Galla Aruna and senior Medical and Health department officials.

‘Arogyasri’

Health cards would be issued under the ‘Arogyasri’ health insurance scheme.

This is the first scheme of its kind in the country that aims at helping the poor people in getting costly treatment for cancer, heart problems, renal and neurological disorders.

They could also go in for surgery for burns above 30 per cent, treating deaf and dumbness and blood transfusion, according to a press note issued from the Chief Minister’s Office.

Dr. Reddy said that diagnostic tests would be part of the scheme that is being made available through network hospitals identified by the Government.

The health card contains the details of the family members, their photographs, white ration card, information about eight ailments and toll free number.

The cardholder and their family members can walk into the network hospitals and avail free treatment, he added.

Amount earmarked

Arogyasri scheme is presently being implemented in Srikakulam, Anantapur and Mahabubnagar districts, where 86-lakh people have been benefitted and 3,300 surgeries performed at a cost of Rs. 18 crores in 69 network hospitals. A sum of Rs. 70 crore has been earmarked for Arogyasri.

The health insurance scheme would be extended to the remaining districts in phased manner. By November next year, all the districts would come under the Arogyasri coverage. Once the scheme is extended to the entire State, the number of network hospitals would run into hundreds, Dr. Reddy said and added that this was not a short term programme but a permanent one.

The Chief Minister said Government was in the process of filling up 1,638 vacant posts of doctors by September end. So far 2,120 doctors have been recruited. Efforts are also on to fill up the vacant posts of para medical staff.

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