Majority of COVID-19 patients not getting benefit of Golden Cards: Zulfikar

Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, May 14: Apni Party vice president Choudhary Zulfikar Ali today urged the Government to provide golden cards to the left out people particularly in the wake of spike in COVID-19 cases in J&K.
In his statement to the press, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali said that the Government must ensure that the COVID infected people can get the benefit of the golden cards as majority of the population still do not have Ayushman Bharat Golden Cards. He said even as all J&K residents are impaneled for health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh/family, however, most of the population is still without Ayushman Bharat Golden Cards.
He further said that it is imperative amid the present COVID situation in J&K to generate Golden Cards for each COVID-19 patient on their admission to the hospitals by dedicating Arogya Mitra to Isolation Wards and treat each of the COVID patients under Ayushman Bharat.
The Apni Party leader expressed concern over the claims about the success of the health scheme and questioned on its progress on ground, claiming that people are not getting benefits of the scheme even at the time of COVID pandemic.
He said that many of the essential drugs and logistics required in treatment of COVID-19 patient as recommended by AIIMS & Government of India are not available in Government hospitals, which can be easily procured or refunded under Ayushman Bharat. If the COVID patients are given benefit of the scheme, each patient would get treatment free of cost.
Ch Zulfikar Ali urged Lt Governor J&K Manoj Sinha to direct Health Department to give benefits of Golden Cards to each COVID patient. He demanded a proper investigation into the cause of deaths in Government hospitals even after claims of the Department that they have provided maintained oxygen supply and other emergency things required to fight against COVID-19.