Bureaucrat’s efforts save poor painter’s life

Sushil Manav

Efforts by an IAS officer helped save the life of a poor painter, who needed over Rs 5 lakh for the implant of a combo device in his heart, but the procedure was not included in the packages of Ayushman Bharat, a Central Government’s insurance scheme for the poor.

Dr Saket Kumar, who is posted as CEO of Ayushman Bharat, Haryana, at Panchkula, wrote to the Central Government authorities, requesting them to either include the implant in the packages listed under the scheme or relax the norms for the approval of Rs 5 lakh for him.

“The packages not listed under Ayushman Bharat are called unspecified and are categorised as U-100. A maximum of Rs one lakh can be released for such cases. While releasing Rs 5 lakh for the combo device, the Central authorities clarified that the norms of the maximum limit in the case of unspecified packages will not be allowed to come in way when it comes to saving a life,” says Saket.

The maximum limit for specified packages listed under Ayushman Bharat is Rs 5 lakh.

The officer’s efforts not only helped the poor painter, but also opened the door for all others who need such an implant or any other medical procedure at present not included in the list of packages under Ayushman Bharat. 

Prem Singh (45), who ekes a living by making number plates of vehicles at Fatehabad, direly needed help, as doctors had announced six months ago that his heart was barely able to pump blood to his body and unless a combo device was implanted immediately, he would die soon.

The implantation of the device called the cardiac resynchronisation therapy device (CRTD) was to cost over Rs 5 lakh, which was beyond his means. He was 31 when he suffered a massive heart attack on August 30, 2005 that damaged two-thirds of his heart. Since then, he had been living on medicines, but the pumping capacity of his heart was getting poorer by the day.

Heart was not pumping blood properly

• Prem Singh (45), a painter, ekes a living by making number plates of vehicles at Fatehabad. 
• He needed help urgently, as doctors had announced six months ago that his heart was barely able to pump blood to his body and unless a combo device was implanted immediately, he would die soon. 

Norms no hindrance to saving a life

The packages not listed under Ayushman Bharat are called unspecified and are categorised as U-100. A maximum of Rs 1 lakh can be released for such cases. While releasing Rs 5 lakh for the combo device, the Central authorities clarified that the norms of the maximum limit in the case of unspecified packages will not be allowed to come in way when it comes to saving a life. — Dr Saket Kumar, CEO of Ayushman Bharat, Haryana