What a BPL family saves in five years is totally wiped out with a single hospital admission. Health is an important parameter in the Human Development Index and a priority component of development. Arogyasri Scheme became a great equaliser with people in districts with high Human Poverty Index also availing the best in medical facilities. Now a health insurance scheme has also been extended to the State government employees too.
But will the State government which is going to face a deficit budget be able to continue the health insurance schemes in their present form, is the big question that is troubling beneficiaries and administrators alike.
The removal, a while ago, of 135 diseases from the Arogyasri List of Diseases most of which require laparoscopic procedures, was a bone of contention. Laparoscopy was most beneficial to those living below the poverty line (BPL). Those who undergo laparoscopic surgery need shorter hospitalisation and can return to work sooner. The number of rest days required by patients who undergo open surgery is much more.
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As many as 360 “common diseases” are excluded from the ‘Udyogasri Scheme’ for which the employees are paying 50 per cent contribution and the State government is paying the rest of the premium.
Under these circumstances, can the government provide reasonably good quality healthcare to those living below the poverty line and also its employees?
According an estimate prepared by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), a minimum of Rs 5,000 crore will be required to create infrastructure for the 10,000 beds needed to provide healthcare to Arogyasri and Udyogasri beneficiaries. The annual maintenance cost for the infrastructure and men is Rs.1,000 crore. The garnering of required manpower is a formidable task. There is only one cardiothoracic surgeon available at Visakhapatnam in the government sector in all the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
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The Chandrababu Naidu government has the onerous task of developing a comprehensive health insurance scheme that will not retard the rate of development. A lot of thought should therefore go into it because it is linked to the development index.
Indian Medical Association State president P. Venkateswarlu said that Arogyasri Scheme was available for patients in big and corporate hospitals. It should be extended to smaller hospitals with 10 to 15 beds. This was needed for patients to continue their relationship with the family doctors. He said the State government should double the health budget which was way below all norms.