Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said the country can emulate the mediclaim scheme of his home State Goa, where the government bears the insurance premium to offer cashless treatment.
He was speaking after inaugurating the new block of Kasturba Medical College Hospital in Mangaluru. He said so that over 6,000 inpatients had benefited in various hospitals under the scheme, with the Goa government paying about Rs. 30 crore towards the treatment costs. Manipal Hospitals, Goa, alone had treated about 3,000 patients, he said.
Mr. Parrikar said there was a large divide in the healthcare sector. While state-of-the-art facilities do exist, the same are not within the reach of many. Hence, hospitals, including the KMC, should reserve certain percentage of beds for economically weaker sections and bill them depending upon their affordability, he said.
He complimented the Manipal group for opening the hospital on Christmas day and sated that Jesus Christ advocated compassion, love and care to all.
Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader, Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha Member Nalin Kumar Kateel, Manipal University Chancellor Ramadas Pai, group chairman H.S. Ballal and others were present.
