In the run up to the September 23 rollout of the universal health insurance scheme under the banner of Ayushman Bharat, Jharkhand Government is all set to start extensive training of facilitators named as Arogya Mitras. Training of the connecting links between hospitals and patients would be to ensure hustle-free registrations, linkages with empanelled diagnostic centers and reimbursement of medical bills after satisfactory treatments.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda after holding a review meeting on Tuesday about the preparations for the scheduled launch informed that the training was a must since the entire scheme is digital and paperless.
“We conducted a review of preparations of the Ayushman Bharat scheme which would be rolled out by the Prime Minister in Ranchi on September 23. Chip-based Golden Cards to the 57 lakh families of the State are to be distributed for which trained people are required right up to district levels. A pilot training programme would be started two days ahead of the rollout since entire scheme is paperless and digital,” said the Minister.
He added that all Government hospitals and host of private health centers were going to be empanelled on fast track basis ahead of the opening. “Patients would start coming the moment the scheme is opened. We have to be ready for that. Before that the Center would be sending letters to every eligible household of the State based on the social-economic and Caste Census, 2011. Ayushman Mitras would identify those families and get them their cards issued. Jharkhand has chosen hybrid model for the scheme which incorporates both trust model as well as insurance model. All the Government facilities are deemed to be empanelled for providing treatment under the scheme along with qualifying private hospitals,” added Nadda in the presence of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Health Minister Ramchandra Chnadravansi and senior officials.
Nationally, the scheme aims to cover 10.74 crore families including 57 lakh in Jharkhand by providing them with medical insurance up to Rs five lakh annually against 1350 different types of diseases. The scheme is being run on 60:40 ratio between the Center and the State.
Nadda also lauded the State’s achievements in terms of health parameters such as MMR, IMR and Total Fertility Ratio. “Jharkhand has taken a giant leap in terms of health parameters. MMR has come down by 46 points. The State is among leading States in terms of TFR which is 2.6. Facilities at AIIMS at Deoghar, five new medical colleges at different other places are growing in strength along with trained medico and para-medics which have contributed a lot in this field,” said he and indicated to support being given to the State for taming malaria, TB, Leishmaniasis etc.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit besides launching the scheme would also inaugurate two medical colleges coming up at Chaibasa and Koderma and 10 health and wellness centers meant to contribute achieving the universal health security for the people of the State.
