Over 47,000 surgeries and diagnostic tests have been carried out in private hospitals free of cost on patients referred from government hospitals in the span of a year, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday.
Two schemes
The Delhi government had in March 2017 launched two schemes — one for free tests and another for free surgeries — for patients who were referred to private hospitals from government hospitals in cases where there was long waiting periods in the government-run facilities. The government would pay the private hospitals for the procedures and tests conducted.
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Mr. Jain said 46,364 surgeries and 1,615 tests had been performed under the two schemes from March 2017 to February 2018.
“The number of tests and surgeries performed under the schemes have been increasing every month. About three months ago, we also added R-Rays to the list of tests. So the number will go up,” said Mr. Jain.
The Minister said since two months ago, polyclinics, seed primary urban healthcare centres and Mohalla Clinics have also been allowed to refer patients under the scheme for tests like the X-Rays.
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Earlier, only government hospitals were allowed to refer patients to private centres and hospitals associated with the schemes.
Mr. Jain said the number of private centres and hospitals which come under the schemes has gone “over 100”.