Only one Covid patient avails of Ayushman Bharat benefit in Chandigarh

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11

Centre’s Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) seems unpopular in Chandigarh for Covid treatment as only one coronavirus patient in Chandigarh availed of the benefit of the scheme for concession in treatment during the pandemic.

For the financial year 2020-21, only one Covid hospital admission was authorised for treatment in Chandigarh, while 5,378 non-Covid admissions were authorised in the city under the scheme.

When the pandemic broke out, initially, existing treatment packages were used for providing Covid-related treatment. Later, special packages for treatment and testing of Covid were introduced. Many state governments decided to make Covid testing and treatment free for all residents. While some states/UTs used the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY system, the others made it free.

During the second wave, many patients of Chandigarh were admitted to private hospitals. Despite this, there were a few takers for the benefit provided under the scheme.

The Director, Health Services, Dr Amandeep Kang, said: “Chandigarh government hospitals had provided free Covid-19 treatment, including medicines, covid markers, MRI scans, etc. Many patients of the city had got treatment in government facilities where there was no need for availing the benefit under the AB-PMJAY. However, patients who were admitted to private hospitals of Chandigarh had to use Ayushman cards for getting concession in treatment.”

The AB-PMJAY is an entitlement-based scheme. The entitled beneficiary may directly visit any empanelled hospital (public or private) for availing treatment. However, to increase health awareness among beneficiaries, Ayushman cards are issued to them.

A total of 18 private hospitals in Chandigarh are empanelled under the scheme of the Centre, while eight hospitals are from public sector. Chandigarh was sanctioned Rs 1.84 crore during 2020-21 from the Centre under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Around 18,405 Ayushman cards have been generated in Chandigarh from January 2020 to June 2021.

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