Health is wealth. People who don’t know this proverb will be very less. Yes, health is precious, precious than wealth. Many people in our country are suffering from serious health problems. Many had lost their lives due to different types of diseases, sickness, and illness. Kidney disease is one among the chronic diseases India faces. More than 1 million cases reported every year. Poor people cannot afford the humungous amount that hospital authorities are asking. All these factors had led to the deaths of many and destroyed the dreams of many. Here comes the role of Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Ayushman Bharat Yojana is a National Health Protection Scheme.
Ayushman Bharat Yojana was launched by our honorable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on 23 September 2018 in Jharkhand. It is also called “Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana”. The objective of Ayushman Bharat Yojana is to provide free treatment to the poor people across the country and hence protect their health. This scheme provides free treatment of 5 Lakhs for almost 50 crore people per year. Hence, this scheme protects the greatest wealth of people, health. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Ayushman Bharat Yojana is the world’s best healthcare scheme. The scheme is available in all the public hospitals and selected private hospitals throughout India. This article is about Ayushman Bharat Yojana’s entry, benefits, and impact in Kerala.
Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Kerala
At first, the Kerala Government refused to implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana. But after understanding its benefits, the Government finally agreed to employ the scheme in God’s Own Country. Ayushman Bharat Yojana was launched in Kerala on April 1, 2019. In Kerala, the scheme is known as “Karunya Aarogya Suraksha Paddhathi”. The central Government ordered the Comprehensive Health Insurance Agency of Kerala to release the scheme in Kerala. The scheme provides free treatment for poor people by known doctors in Kerala through all public hospitals and certain private hospitals in Kerala. To inculcate this scheme in Kerala, the Kerala Government had made a list of people according to the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011(who are behind in wealth, people in low castes, orphans, handicapped, etc. in all the village and city areas). All the people who are included in this list will surely gain the help of this scheme. More than 18 lakh families are now part of Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Kerala and intended to help 21.5 Lakh families in the state. The number of members in a family and their ages is not at all a criteria to acquire Ayushman Bharat Yojana service. This scheme has really become a boon for people in Kerala as many people who were struggling to cope up with their lives have got the service of Ayushman Bharat Yojana. More people are likely to join the scheme in the coming days. The big plus point of this scheme is that other than its free service, it is providing the required treatment in time. How many people had lost their lives due to lack of treatment in time? Its not only the case of money but the treatment should also be done and dusted at the correct time itself. Hence, Ayushman Bharat Yojana is perfect in all aspects.
The package for some treatments under Ayush Bharat Yojana are listed below:
- Caesarean: Rs 12,000
- Brain Surgery: Rs 50,000
- Plastic Surgery: Rs 50,000
- Body Burns: Rs 80,000
- Angioplasty: Rs 60,000
- Poly Trauma Patients with Multiple Injuries: Rs 30,000-75,000
- Cataract Surgery: Rs 15,000
- Serious Head Injuries: Rs 55,000
The central government will provide the fund to all the hospitals working under Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
Eligibility for Ayushman Bharat Yojana
The eligibility criteria for acquiring Ayushman Bharat Yojana are given below
For rural areas:
- Households living in only one room with kucha walls and kucha roof
- Households having at least one disabled member and no able-bodied adult member
- Households without shelter
- Households with no adult member between age 16 to 59
- SC/ST households
- Female-headed households with no adult male member between age 16-59
- Primitive tribal groups
- Landless households attaining a major part of their income from manual casual labour
For urban areas:
- Beggars
- Domestic Workers
- Sweepers/Sanitation Workers
- Shop Workers/Tailors/Artisans
- Construction Workers/Plumbers/painters/Welders/Security Guards
- Transport Workers/Drivers/Conductors/Rickshaw Pullers/Cart Pullers
- Electricians/Mechanics/Repair Workers
- Rag-Pickers
- Street Vendors/Cobblers/Hawkers
Hospitals Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Kozhikode
There are almost 130 hospitals in Kerala with Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme. Some of the crucial hospitals with this scheme in Kozhikode are listed below
- CHC, Balusseri
- CHC, Koduvally
- CHC, Thamarassery
- Government Hospital, Vadakara
- Government Hospital, Nadapuram
- General Hospital, Koyilandy
- I.M.C.H., Kozhikode
- Kozhikode Medical College Hospital
- CHC, Mukkam
- CHC, Perambra
- Taluk Head Quarters Hospital, Vadakara
- Taluk Head Quarters Hospital, Koyilandy
- Government General Hospital, Kozhikode
- EMS Cooperative Hospital, Perambra
- CHC, Narikkuni
- CHC, Nadapuram
- CHC, Thalakulathur
- Taluk Hospital, Feroke
- Government Mental Health Centre, Kozhikode
- Government Dental College Hospital, Kozhikode
- Community Health Centre, Melady
Conclusion:
By providing free treatment to the poor and needy, Our government is doing a very good job. There are many people throughout our country who are even struggling to attain one-time food. In such a nation, implementing this type of scheme is not at all a small thing. How many people have died because of not getting treatment in time and because of lack of money? The majority of people are living in this universe with only one aim- money. Yes, money is a crucial factor. But it is not everything. Just imagine without good health, how can you make money? Health is the real wealth in our life and that’s why “health is wealth” it reads. So always take care of your health. Let’s hope that more schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana will be launched by our Government to help the poor and needy in the coming future.