Sehat Scheme: 22 lakh Golden Cards issued, 22,000 patients treated in first two months across J&K UT

Jammu, Feb 28: As many 22 lakh Golden Cards were issued and 22000 patients were treated in the first two months from the launch of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Arogya Yojna--SEHAT Scheme across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

AB PM-JAY--SEHAT was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 26.

The scheme in convergence with PM-JAY aims to provide Universal Health Insurance Coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family on a floater basis.

AB PM-JAY SEHAT has the same benefits as available under AB-PMJAY.

Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo said, "this scheme covers all residents of Jammu and Kashmir including employees and pensioners of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and their families."

He said that the scheme provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital.

AB PM-JAY SEHAT in convergence with PM-JAY envisions to help mitigate catastrophic expenditure on medical treatment to all the residents of Jammu and Kashmir to covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.

There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender. All pre-existing conditions are covered from day one. Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country i.e. a beneficiary can visit any of the more than 24000 empanelled public or private hospitals (including 229 hospitals empanel led within Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir) under AB PM-JAY in India to avail cashless treatment.

Since the launch, in the first two months 22000 free and cashless treatments have been provided to eligible beneficiaries under the scheme.

Registration under the scheme can be done at any Common Service Centers (CSCs) or Empanelled Hospitals. A network of more than 5000 CSCs are up and working.

About 30 Lakh residents of UT of J&K have already registered under the scheme.

Thus, about 56 percent of the families eligible under AB PM-JAY SEHAT have been registered. Under the scheme in the first two months 22.05 Lakh Golden cards have been issued.

These are in addition to 13.28 Lakh Golden Cards issued under AB PM-JAY. Under AB PM-JAY, about 70 percent of the eligible families have been registered.

Mr Dulloo said, "AB PM-JAY SEHAT Scheme is one of the most ambitious schemes of Government of Jammu and Kashmir. It is heartening to see residents availing free and cashless benefits from reputed empanelled hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir."

He further said, "Residents of Jammu and Kashmir have already started availing benefits under the scheme from reputed hospitals from outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. So far, from the launch, more than 450 patients have already availed benefits in empanelled hospitals from outside J&K using portability feature of AB PM-JAY scheme."

Ankita (name changed), 67 years old from a remote village of Baramulla was admitted in American Oncology Centre, a Private Empanelled Hospital, Jammu for cancer treatment.

She was provided with free and cashless treatment under AB PM-JAY SEHAT. Another patent, Neelam (name changed) was treated at Khyber Medical Institute Srinagar and was operated upon at the facility for treatment of a heart disorder and was provided free treatment worth Rs. 3 Lakh.

One patient, Atul (name changed), suffering from heart disease received treatment worth 2.8 Lakh free of cost from Narayana Hospital, Katra. Utlization in Government Empanelled Hospitals is also quite encouraging.

One, Waseem (name changed), from Ganderbal received treatment worth Rs. 2.09 Lakh free cost from SKIMS Soura. Residents of Jammu and Kashmir have already started availing benefits under the scheme from reputed hospitals from outside the Union Territory o Jammu and Kashmir. So far, from the launch, more than 450 patents have already availed benefits using portability feature of AB PM-JAY SEHAT scheme.

A resident, Mandeep (name changed). 56 years old, from District Kathua received free and cashless services worth Rs. 3.4 lakh at Indus International Hospital Punjab under AB PMJAY SEHAT.

The patient was suffering from a heart disease. Another patent Rashid (name changed), 67 years old from Srinagar underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi free of cost.

This ambitious health insurance scheme is going to be the game changer as far as provision of health-care services is concerned.

It will on one hand help residents of J&K to avail quality health care services and on the other hand will strengthen and streamline the supply-side in health service delivery paradigm.