Patients hardly derive any benefit from JSSK scheme

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 19

The failure of the government to fully implement the Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital has been burning a hole in patients’ pockets. This is the major bottleneck in achieving the objective of reduced mother and child mortality rates.

In absence of the availability of medicines and surgical items, which otherwise are required to be provided free of cost by the hospital to all pregnant women during their stay, patients often have to buy these from private chemists.

The JSSK objective is to ensure better facilities for women and newborn. The scheme claims to provide free cashless services to pregnant women, including normal deliveries, caesarean section and treatment of sick newborn (up to 30 days after taking birth) at government health institutions.

“Most of the rural folks come here believing that everything is free. Most of them don’t have money to spend on costly medicines. Once a patient is admitted, she feels that she is being cheated as contrary to the government’s promise of free treatment, doctors ask her to purchase medicines from outside the hospital,” said an insider.

Patients are often asked to purchase even simple items, such as surgical gloves and syringes from the market as the items under the JSSK are mostly unavailable. “Sometimes we know that the patient’s attendants do not have any money but what can we do. In some cases, someone helps them buy these. But if the JSSK is implemented effectively, a lot many lives can be saved,” said a faculty member.

The hospital had recently held a meeting to discuss ways to streamline the scheme so that patients can be benefitted. Sources at the college say that a complaint to the Chief Minister’s office regarding ineffective implementation has also been made.

Hospital’s Medical Superintendant Dr Surinder Paul said, “Sometimes, there is a delay because the procedure to purchase medicines and other items under the JSSK is lengthy and cumbersome.” He said that he would soon meet the Civil Surgeon to discuss the issue.

“We don’t have discretion to spend funds even in emergency cases. We have to follow the procedure which causes delay,” he added.