Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader has said that the State government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Latex Ltd. (HLL) for establishing diagnostic centres and generic drug stores in all district hospitals in the State, to enable patients to get diagnostic facilities and drugs at an affordable cost.
Addressing a press conference in Gulbarga city on Saturday, Mr. Khader said that hurdles for establishing the generic drug store and the diagnostic centre in the district hospitals have been cleared and these facilities would be established within one month.
Mr. Khader said that initially, diagnostic centres with latest gadgets including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), scanning, and other diagnostic equipments, would be established on the premises of the six district government hospitals, including Gulbarga Government General Hospital.
The prices of diagnostic tests would be fixed by the State government and would be much cheaper than what is being charged in private diagnostic facilities. For instance, an MRI test which costs around Rs. 8500 in private facilities would be available for around Rs. 3500 in the diagnostic centre established by the government.
He said that soon diagnostic centres would be established on the premises of all district government hospitals for the benefit of patients. However, generic drug stores would be established in all district government general hospitals within a month and based on their success, the same will be extended to the taluk government hospitals.
To a question, Mr. Khader said the Cabinet has cleared the proposal for extending the Vajpayee Arogya Shree scheme to Above Poverty Line cardholders and a gazette notification would be issued shortly. “The scheme would be launched in December and will be a ‘new year gift’ to people of the State from the State government,” he said.
Mr. Khader clarified for APL cardholders, treatment would not be entirely free as it is for BPL cardholders. They would have to bear 30 per cent of the cost of treatment and the remaining will be borne by the State government. “If the patient wants to get admitted in special rooms, the entire charge of room rent will have to be borne by the patient, along with 50 per cent of treatment cost.”
The Minister said that the State government has entered into an MoU with different private hospitals for extending the Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme to APL card holders.
