National health protection scheme to roll out on September 23 in Chandigarh
In Chandigarh, the beneficiaries are the ‘poorest’ 23,687 households as determined by the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011.
The ambitious Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Scheme, also called Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) that aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually and benefit more than 10 crore poor families in the country will be rolled out in Chandigarh on September 23.
The scheme will provide the health insurance policy to poor families and the beneficiaries will get ‘cashless and paperless’ access to health services in all empanelled hospitals across India.
In Chandigarh, the beneficiaries are the ‘poorest’ 23,687 households as determined by the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011.
Of these, 392 are the rural beneficiaries, while 23,295 are urban. However, the census does not guarantee that every poor family will be covered.
A state health agency under the central government has been set up in the city.
The entire financial support will be provided by this agency, which will also be responsible for carrying out the scheme-related tasks, including registering beneficiaries, empanelling hospitals, verifying claims, disbursing verified claims, monitoring hospitals and checking frauds.
“Almost all government hospitals barring PGIMER will be empanelled by tomorrow. PGI is an autonomous institute and its empanelment will be done by the Centre,” said a health official.
City to have 10 wellness centres
There are around 26 civil dispensaries, of which five dispensaries and as many sub-centres have been converted into health and wellness centres.
These will be made functional in Chandigarh by September 23.
The wellness centres will provide a package of 12 health services such as examining the reproductive child health (RCH), mother and child healthcare, eye and ENT (ear-nose-throat), oral healthcare, geriatric care, mental health, emergency services, yoga sessions and among others.
Besides this, free universal screening for common non-communicable disease (NCDs) will also be provided.
The upgraded centres will have a doctor, an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) or lady health visitor (LHV), and a pharmacist.
The sub-centres which have been upgraded are located at Dhanas, Behlana, Daria, Mauli, and Khuda Lahora villages.
Similarly, five civil dispensaries based in Dhanas, Mauli Jagran, Sector 38, Sector 20, Daddu Majra have also been upgraded.
Comprehensive services will be provided at the upgraded centres.