Over 29,000 hospitals, including 12,625 private ones, have been empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana as of June 30, Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda told the Lok Sabha on Friday, August 2, 2024.
All empanelled hospitals have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with their respective State Health Agencies (SHAs).
Beneficiaries can seek redressal of their grievances by filing their grievances, related to denial of treatment by empanelled hospitals or regarding any other issue related to the scheme, using different media, including the web-based portal Centralised Grievance Redressal Management System (CGRMS), Central and State call centres, letters to SHAs etc.
Beneficiaries can approach the State Health Agency to take action against erring hospitals, including de-empanelment of the hospitals. All empanelled hospitals are available to provide treatment to the eligible beneficiaries, Nadda said in a written response to a question.
The activeness of a hospital is measured through the number of treatments provided by the hospital under the scheme, which is dynamic in nature.
Hospital empanelment is a continuous process, he said. To increase the network of empanelled hospitals, a multi-pronged strategy is adopted, which includes reaching out to the hospitals and their associations, organising workshops to address their concerns and simplifying the empanelment processes etc. As a result of these efforts, there has been a constant increase in the network of empanelled hospitals under the scheme, the Minister said.
Distribution across States
According to the data shared, a total of 2,634 private and 2,948 public hospitals have been empanelled under the scheme in Uttar Pradesh, while 1,202 private and 996 public hospitals in Tamil Nadu; 1,027 private and 1,406 public hospitals in Andhra Pradesh; 868 private and 1,747 public hospitals in Gujarat and 564 private and 2,968 public hospitals have been empanelled under the scheme in Bihar.
In Delhi, 52 private and 11 public hospitals have been empanelled, while in West Bengal it is 10 private and 27 public hospitals. Only one private and 11 public hospitals in Odisha have been empanelled under the scheme, Nadda said.
Transpersons included under AB-PMJAY scheme: Nadda
A total of 3,029 verified transgender persons have been included under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) since August 2022, Mr. Nadda told the Lok Sabha.
Mr. Nadda said an MoU has been signed between the National Health Authority and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to extend the benefits of the national health insurance scheme to transgender persons.
The benefits are being extended under the Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise sub-scheme of the Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons, the Minister said in response to a question.
These beneficiaries get cashless healthcare services according to the Health Benefit Package 2022, Nadda said. “The procedure related to gender affirmation surgery is not available under National Health Benefit Package master of AB-PMJAY. Therefore, no beneficiary has undertaken this treatment under the scheme,” he said while responding to a question.
These beneficiaries are eligible for additional transgender-specific treatments under the scheme.
Gender affirmation surgeries and other transgender-specific medical treatments are offered at the Safdarjung Hospital and the Dr RML Hospital in Delhi, Mr. Nadda said.
Published - August 02, 2024 04:22 pm IST
