Chandigarh, March 17:
The Punjab Government has set a record by generating 9,55,489 e-cards of beneficiaries from 22 February to 16 March 2021 under AB- Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna. It was disclosed by Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Mr. Hussan Lal in a high-powered meeting at Paryas Bhawan Sector-38 Chandigarh.
While presiding over the meeting, Mr. Hussan Lal has directed especially the Punjab Mandi Board & Food & Civil Supply Department to expedite the procedure of generating e-cards of beneficiaries as both departments cover the largest number of beneficiaries under this insurance scheme. He said that all concerned departments should submit updated data of beneficiaries to State Health Agency so as to ensure that all entitled beneficiaries get covered under the next year of policy and no eligible beneficiary is left out.
He divulged that State Health Agency conducted the massive drive namely “Ek hafte di vishesh muhim”-22nd Feb. to 28th Feb. to generate e-cards across the State and till date, 69.40 percent of eligible families have been covered under the AB-SSBY.
State Health Agency, CEO Mr. Amit Kumar said that the process of generating e-cards is in full swing in all districts and District Fazilka has topped in Punjab by covering the highest number of eligible families.
He said that the treatment under this Scheme started from 20th August 2019 and more than 6,01,766 patients across the State have been admitted at Public and Private hospitals and have been provided cashless treatment worth Rs. 673.62 crores.
Mr. Amit Kumar further highlighted that Punjab became one of the best-performing state in the country by empanelling 822 Private and Government hospitals within 1.5 year only and achieving average no of treatment of 1500 beneficiaries per day under the Scheme. He said that since it is an insurance backed scheme, review with Insurance Company is carried out on regular basis to ensure that all grievances are actively redressed, approvals are given, and claims are settled in timely manner.
He also informed that a unique initiative has been recently taken by developing Feedback Portal, under which all beneficiaries who have availed treatment are contacted and their feedback is taken on several parameters besides knowing about their satisfaction with respect to cashless treatment availed under the Scheme. Through this tool, Govt is directly reaching beneficiaries and empowering them to represent their case, if they encounter any issue or are dissatisfied. This will also greatly aid in deciphering frauds at end of empanelled hospitals.
He further added that “Till now, more than 11,062 heart surgeries worth Rs. 99.45 cr, 180,660 dialysis worth Rs. 36.89 cr, 4,265 joint replacements worth Rs. 34.07 cr and more than 10,958 cancer treatments of patients worth Rs. 23.04 have been conducted under AB-SSBY”.
