Starting today, 15 lakh people of J&K will be able to avail SEHAT Scheme, a free of cost and cashless health insurance cover, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates it. The registration is open for the entire population of J&K.
Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo, said the scheme launch would mean that the beneficiaries get the Golden Cards and are able to have access to free of cost treatment for all critical, chronic and emergency treatments “across hospitals – Government and select private”. He said the scheme is a unique one and the entire population of J&K, including those who were ineligible to avail the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, will be able to take benefit of it. Dulloo said that 15 lakh people had already registered for the scheme and can start to avail the services immediately.
The FC said that there were no restrictions in the treatment cover and registrations were open across the Common Service Centers and Government hospitals – Community Health Centers and above. “People can now get information and registration at their nearest hospital and be able to get treated without any burden on their pockets,” he said. The Golden Cards, that will be the only document required for availing the scheme, he said, will be issued from today.
Regarding the “patchy awareness” that many people have pointed out as a hurdle in the implementation of this scheme, Dulloo said, “We will be launching an intensive awareness campaign and the mega-launch by PM Modi is also in the direction of making it better known to masses”.
As per the Government, SEHAT provides a health-cover of 5 lakh rupees per family per year. The beneficiaries can avail cashless treatment across the empanelled hospitals in India. There is no cap on family size. “Any citizen can apply for the scheme which is linked to more than 23,000 public and private hospitals across India apart from those in J&K,” a statement said.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole, has said that 100 hospitals including 10 District Hospitals, 48 SDHs, 24 PHCs, GMCs, SKIMS Soura and 2 private hospitals in Kashmir have been empanelled to provide health benefits to all beneficiaries under this scheme.
In Srinagar, enrolled beneficiaries can avail of benefits including free and cashless treatment under the scheme at 24 government and private hospitals – which also include dialysis centres – empanelled under the scheme.
What does the scheme guarantee:
1. Free treatment, with no cash required for admission, investigations and procedures upto Rs 5 lakh per family, per year.
2. All residents of J&K eligible to avail the scheme.
3. Beneficiaries can avail treatment at any of the 23000 empanelled government and private hospitals across India.
How to avail the scheme:
1. Visit the nearest Common Service Center or Community Health Center/Sub-district Hospital or District Hospital.
2. Complete registration process with a valid proof of identity.
3. Golden Card will be issued.
4. Seek help of Aarogya Mitra for complete information and identification of hospitals and necessary documentation for services. A help desk will be available at the hospital for assistance.
5. Consult doctor, avail cashless treatment.