Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that three schemes launched by the AAP government in the past two years to provide free high-end diagnostics, surgeries and treatment for victims of road accidents, acid attacks and burn injuries, have benefited 1.42 lakh people.
The schemes were announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal under the Delhi Arogya Kosh with an aim to universalise free, efficient and quality healthcare.
The schemes are also aimed at reducing the burden on government hospitals and ensuring timely treatment. “In the surgery scheme, it is up to the patient to choose from the empanelled private hospital because some people may want to save out-of-pocket expenses incurred on travel while others may give priority to the name of a hospital. Through the accident scheme, we are ensuring that no victim faces the threat of loss of life simply because a government hospital was not close by,” said Mr. Jain.
The free high-end diagnostics scheme enables patients, who are bonafide Delhi residents, to get referral from identified Delhi government hospitals and polyclinics to empanelled private diagnostic centres — in case the former cannot provide the tests within 30 days. Between February 2017 and June 30 this year, over 1.34 lakh patients had benefited from this scheme, said the Minister.
The free surgery scheme, which was launched in March 2017, gives patients the autonomy to get referred to empanelled private hospitals/ nursing homes from identified Delhi government hospitals for 86 surgeries, in case the latter cannot provide the treatment within 30 days. Till June 2019, 4,654 patients have received cashless treatment, he added.
Under a scheme launched in February 2018 to provide cashless treatment to medico-legal victims of road accident, acid attacks and thermal burn injuries where the incident has occurred in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police, 2,938 road accident victims, and one acid attack victim, has been treated free of cost in private hospitals between February 2018 and June 30 this year, said the Minister.
