Centre steps in to provide healthcare to the poorest

NEW DELHI: As more hospitals are being designated as dedicated Covid-19 facilities, the government has stepped in to provide healthcare to the poorest of the poor. The National Health Authority (NHA) has relaxed its criteria to rope in private hospitals in smaller towns and cities to be empanelled under Ayushman Bharat, the Modi government’s health insurance scheme for the deprived.

So far, NHA has followed strict protocol which requires hospitals to provide information on their medical facilities, procedures and capacity. The present system takes a hospital 6-8 months for empanelment. However, with the rising Covid-19 cases, state governments have been converting hospitals, especially government hospitals, as dedicated facilities to treat only Covid-19 patients. This has adversely affected poor patients with serious ailments related to oncology, blood disorders and kidney. Some require regular procedures like dialysis and blood transfusions.

The government has decided to rope in private players on a temporary basis by relaxing its guidelines for empanelment of hospitals under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) or Ayushman Bharat.

“We have relaxed a few conditions under the Hospital Empanelment Module (HEM) so that more private hospitals can be empanelled on a temporary basis,” Ayushman Bharat CEO Indu Bhushan told ET adding, “The number of hospitals has to increase so that treatment of Ayushman beneficiaries is not disrupted.”

NHA has worked out a new module – HEM Lite – which would seek just core information from a private hospital in smaller cities. A beginning has been made in MP , Haryana and Maharashtra.

The government has also made testing and treatment of Covid-19 free for all Ayushman beneficiaries.