Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 24: In order to help the poor patients for bearing expenses on account of their treatment for serious ailments in the Government as well as private sectors, the Grievances Cell of Chief Minister has suggested the Department of Health & Medical Education to consider devising health insurance policy on the analogy of Rashtriya Swasth Bima Yojana (RSBY).
In a letter written to the Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat by the Coordinator Chief Minister’s Grievances Cell, Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, it has been stated that a large number of patients from weaker sections of society frequently approach the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell for financial support for meeting the expenses for treatment of various life threatening diseases from within and outside the State, but there is no such provision to help such a huge number of patients.
It has been suggested that the patients can be helped by developing a health insurance policy for the poor households of the State on the pattern of RSBY or devising State’s own health insurance policy whereby a part of the premium can be provided by the beneficiary household and the rest can be contributed by the Government.
By doing so, the access of poor households can be enhanced to quality health care and provide them multiple choices for getting the treatment from the State as well as outside.