Big hospitals not on panel, Bains to hold protest today

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 25

After exposing private hospitals duping beneficiaries of the Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana, Team Insaaf supremo and Independent MLA Simarjeet Bains today targeted the state government for “not empanelling big hospitals” under the scheme.

He said they would protest outside the office of Punjab Health System Corporation in Mohali on Friday.

He sought a probe by an independent agency into the issuance of insurances under the scheme and asked the government to make the names of beneficiaries public.

Simarjeet alleged that the fund-starved state had spent a huge amount on the health insurance scheme, but did not empanel big hospitals under the scheme.

“For selling an insurance policy, an agent receives a rebate on the premium. It should be made public who these agents are,” Simarjeet said. He said 28 lakh health insurances had been issued so far and 11 lakh more would be issued soon.

“The state government launched the scheme in hurry, but no efforts were made to create awareness about its benefits. The majority of beneficiaries are not aware of its benefits,” said Simarjeet.

Four persons of a family will be covered under a card and the scheme would cover 2 crore population of the state.