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Punjab: Beneficiaries await health cards to undergo treatment
Bhai Ghanhya Sehat Sewa Scheme
Launched to provide quality healthcare to rural community at affordable cost, Bhai Ghanhya Sehat Sewa Scheme’s purpose seems defeated as thousands of cooperative societies’ members are waiting for their health cards.
Roop Singh, 62, a marginal farmer from Muktsar Jandoke village, is required to undergo a knee surgery. But, without a health card, his hopes of availing scheme’s benefits are dashed for now.
Roop’s is not the lone case as there are thousands like him for whom the scheme stands useless.
The policy for last financial year had lapsed on August 14, 2019. Though enrolment for the current financial year started soon after, but the process hit a roadblock after the private insurance firm backed out of the pact.
What does the scheme offer
Bhai Ghanhya Sehat Sewa Scheme was launched in 2006 to offer cashless treatment up to ₹2 lakh to the members and employees of eligible cooperative societies and institutions.
They can enrol themselves by paying a premium of ₹1,749 and add their family members for ₹433 each. They can avail treatment at all government as well as several private hospitals.
“I had paid my premium in August, but haven’t received my card so far. What is the logic of running a scheme like this if the government cannot implement it properly?” asked Roop Singh.
54-year-old Gurmeet Singh also faces a similar dilemma. He is suffering from kidney-related problem and is waiting for the card to avail treatment. “We have met officials several times, but none of them could give any satisfactory answer on when would we get our cards. We are left with no option but to pay for the treatment from our own pocket,” he added.
Punjab cooperative secretary union’s Muktsar president Gurdas Singh said, “The secretaries posted in cooperative societies spread awareness about the scheme and motivate people to enrol, but now they have started questioning us. Our secretaries are facing difficulty in placating them.”
‘Tenders to be floated soon’
Punjab cooperative societies registrar Vikas Garg said, “We had an agreement with a private insurance company, but it backed out citing losses incurred last year. We have held several meetings with the firm and even sent a legal notice.”
“At least 85,000 people have enrolled themselves in the scheme. We are aware of the problems they are facing. We are in process of floating new tenders and people will soon be able to avail benefits of the scheme,” he added.
Short film to promote scheme
The scheme has also been promoted through movies.
One such film is ‘Tabbar’, which is available on YouTube. The story, screenplay and dialogues of the short film has been written by Harvinder Singh Dhillon, an employee of cooperative department posted in Sangrur.
“We tried to spread awareness about the scheme through the movie. It has hit 4.64 lakh views on the YouTube and people are appreciating it,” he added.
