The Hindu
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Mangalore, Apr 1: The Dharmasthala-based Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), a non-government organisation, signed a tie up with Reliance General Insurance Company (RGIC) to provide "Sampoorna Suraksha", a health insurance policy, for the members of self-help groups (SHGs) promoted under the project, on Monday.

Under this scheme, the beneficiaries will not be required to pay the premiums.

Demand

D. Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, who inaugurated the scheme at Dharmasthala, urged the Government to make health insurance compulsory for all. People who have obtained health insurance policies must be entitled to avail the services in government hospitals, he added.

Proposal

The "Sampoorna Suraksha" scheme would soon be extended to Shimoga and Chikmagalur districts, he said.

Educate people

He said that the micro finance companies in the country should provide free health insurance to their employees. People should be educated about various health insurance schemes. "The SHG members in 300 villages in Belthangady taluk have enrolled their names for the health insurance scheme this year," he said and added health institutions should try to provide best medical care to people at affordable cost.

"The SKDRDP has provided general health insurance cover to 64,851 families from below poverty line through Oriental Insurance Company (OIC). It has provided health insurance cover to 6,58,360 SHG members through Reliance General Insurance Company," he said. Regional Head of RGIC H.V. Ramesh, deputy general manager of OIC P.R. Meenakshi Sundaram and executive director of SKDRDP L.H. Manjunath were present.