Bangalore: Vajpayee Arogyashree to Cover Entire State Next Year: Sriramulu

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 8: Karnataka’s ambitious Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme providing free medical treatment upto Rs 1.5 lakh to poor patients for as many as 402 treatments for seven major diseases is proposed to be extended to the entire state from next year, according to Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu.

He was addressing a function at Bangalore after the state government’s award of the contract for implementing the Vajpayee Arogyashree Scheme in the entire Belgaum division comprising the districts of Belgaum, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Uttara Kannada, Bijapur and Bagalkot to M/s Family Health Plan Ltd (TPAL) on Wednesday.

Executive Director of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust G Kumar Nayak, IAS, handed over work order to the TPAL Chief Operating Officer, Prasad in the presence of the Minister at the trust office.

Sriramulu said the scheme had come as panacea for economically poor patients. The patients could get free treatment up to Rs. 1.5 lakh at the empanelled hospitals. In special cases, another sum of Rs. 50,000 would be released, he said.

With the inclusion of Belgaum Division, people from all the 13 districts of north Karnataka could get the benefit of the scheme. Other two divisions (Mysore and Bangalore) would be included under the scheme next year, he said

Karnataka’s Health Department Secretary Dr E V Raman Reddy was also present.

The Survarna Aryogya Trust, an autonomous body, created under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will have 20 members comprising officers from Finance, Medical, Cooperation, Labour, Health and Family Welfare and Planning Departments besides expert doctors and economists to oversee the implementation of the scheme.

The Scheme was launched in February last year to cover the Gulbarga division to encompass 14 lakh below poverty line families. It was extended to Belgaum division’s 16 lakh BPL family in August last year. A total of 11,275 beneficiaries in the 12 districts coming under the two divisions have benefitted by the Scheme till May 7, 2011 and the total cost of the treatment is Rs 66.91 crore.