Srinagar, Oct 13: The Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Sham Lal Sharma today launched prestigious Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) in Jammu and Kashmir.
 The scheme will benefit around 66,000 BPL families of two capital districts, Srinagar and Jammu initially.
 Addressing a one-day workshop here, the Minister said that poor people of the State who can’t afford treatment in the hospitals will receive the benefits under this specially designed scheme. He hoped that the scheme will be implemented in letter and spirit by the concerned displaying missionary zeal and spirit.
 The RSBY has been launched in the State after giving due thought on its various aspects and benefits for the poor population. Initially it will be implemented in Jammu and Srinagar district and gradually will be extended to all the districts of the State. He expressed optimism that the scheme would prove very useful and the distressed section of society will be benefited in a big way.
 On the occasion, the Director General Labour Welfare, Government of India, Anil Swarup, who was special guest of the function, gave a detailed presentation highlighting the objectives of this centrally sponsored scheme, which has been successfully implemented in most of the States.
 He informed that the objective of the RSBY was to provide protection to BPL families and labour class from financial liabilities arising out of health dangers that involves hospitalization. He said over 19 million people have so far been covered under the yojana and successfully implemented in the country.
 Elaborating, he said that the beneficiaries under RSBY scheme will be entitled to cashless hospitalization coverage for most of the diseases through the network of identified hospitals up to expenditure of Rs. 30,000 per family per annum. This will cover five members of a family which include the head of the household, spouse and up to three dependents. The Central and State Governments will pay the premium to the healthcare providers (insurance companies) being selected by the State Government. The contribution will be on 90-10 basis annually and the beneficiary family has to pay only registration fee of Rs. 30 only, Swarup added.
 Later, a MoU was signed between the Ministry of Labour Welfare, Government of India and State Government for the implementation of scheme. Commissioner/Secretary Health & Medical Education, G.A.Peer stressed on close coordination between the implementing agencies to achieve the real objective of the scheme.
 Director Family Welfare, Dr. Rakesh Khajuria, who is also the State Nodal Officer, RSBY said approximately there are 66,000 families in the two districts which will avail benefits of this scheme. A proper mass awareness will be created amongst the deserving families so that 100 per cent coverage could be ensured.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST