Yeshasvini Success Story: 23,883 Farmers and Dependents Undergo Surgery
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Jan 5: Thanks to Yeshasvini, the brainchild of former Congress chief minister and present union external affairs minister S M Krishna, has helped as many as 23,883 farmers or their dependents undergo routine to even the most complicated and expensive surgeries besides helping another 79,058 secure outpatient consultancy services in the State during April-October 2009 without spending any big money.
Though the Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme was initially aimed to benefit the rural farmers who were members of all cooperative societies when it was first launched by Krishna on November 14, 2002 and operationalised on June 1, 2003 with a token contribution from farmers, it was eventually extended to cover even their dependents.
The scheme, considered as a landmark initiative for the farming community in India and implemented through the Yeshasvini Cooperative Farmers’ Health Care Scheme, was hailed as a boon to the rural poor in getting necessary treatment and have access to expensive medical procedures by becoming a member of the low cost scheme.
In the past year, the scheme has made rapid strides in rural Karnataka, explained Karnataka’s cooperation minister Laxman S Savadi, adding it provides free treatment to the insured persons in a network of hospitals.
As many as 30.42 lakh members registered under the scheme during April-October, 2009 and contributed Rs. 41.36 crore. The government has contributed Rs. 18 crore and Rs 22.04 crore spent on medical expenses.
The minister said 1,91,109 persons received outpatient treatment while 75,053 underwent surgeries at a cost of Rs 61.03 crore in 2008-09.
The scheme would be extended to folk artistes and journalists from the coming year, the minister said pointing out that an additional sum of Rs 10 crore would be sought for the scheme in the state budget for 2010-11.
The Government contributed Rs 40 crore in 2009-10, Savadi said.
Under the scheme, Rs 10.65 crore expenditure was incurred in 2003-04, Rs 18.47 crore in 2004-05, Rs 26.16 crore in 2005-06, Rs 38.16 crore in 2006-07, Rs 54.09 crore in 2007-08 and Rs 61.03 crore in 2008-09.
"This is the world’s largest self-funded healthcare scheme offering a low-priced product for wide surgical cover to the farmer and his dependent family members,’’ he said.
When the scheme was conceived the farmers had to contribute a meagre Rs 5 per month and the amount was subsequently enhanced to Rs 10 a month, which is still the lowest insurance cost as the annual premium is merely Rs 120.
Asked about the disbursement of farm loans at 3% rate of interest, he said Rs 5,700 crore had been disbursed by cooperatives since 2008-09.
Another Rs 2,000 crore would disbursed to farmers in 2010-11, he announced.
The officials of all cooperatives have been instructed to reschedule loans of farmers affected by the floods in north Karnataka districts.
Declaring that elections to over 3,000 cooperatives would be held during the months of March, April and May next year, Savadi said efforts would be made to strengthen the cooperative system in the State.
The Cabinet has decided to issue e-stamping, under which electronically generated stamp certificates, through cooperatives in district and taluk levels.