SEHAT Scheme emerges a ray of hope for cancer patients
Srinagar: Ali Mohammad (name changed) of Baramulla, earlier this year was detected suffering from cancer.
A labourer by profession, he found it hard to manage the cost of the treatment initially.
It was one of his relatives, who suggested him to utilize his Ayushman Bharat Golden Card, under which the cost of treatment upto Rs 5 lakhs will be borne by the government.
“A simple chemotherapy session would cost me Rs 50,000. I was advised to undergo four chemotherapy sessions and my golden card bore the cost of the entire process,” he told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The AB- PMJAY SEHAT scheme of the Jammu and Kashmir government has emerged as a ray of hope, particularly for cancer patients who require expensive and sophisticated therapies.
The Union Hospital has seen a significant increase in the number of people registering for the program to take advantage of incentives like free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh.
As per the figures accessed by KNO, a total of 6613 patients from Jammu and Kashmir who suffered with cancer diseases have received free of cost treatment under SEHAT scheme till August this year.
From Kashmir, 3358 cancer patients received treatment. The treatment surgeries, chemotherapies and radiotherapies
A total of 3255 cancer patients from Jammu have also been treated through various empanelled hospitals under SEHAT scheme so far.
For treatment of these 6613 cancer patients, the government released Rs 451360195 to various health institutions of Jammu and Kashmir.
As total of Rs 312411297 has been spent for medical oncology while Rs 89248541 and Rs 49700357 have been released for radiation oncology and surgical oncology, respectively.
Since its launch in December 2020, over 5.50 lakh patients have received treatment, amounting to nearly Rs 1,225 crores in healthcare expenses covered.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) SEHAT in convergence with PM-JAY provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital.
It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days of post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines. There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender. All pre-existing conditions are covered from day one
The UT boasts a total of 235 empanelled hospitals, both public and private, under the scheme. Additionally, national portability enables beneficiaries to receive treatment at nearly 28,000 empanelled hospitals across the country.
Officials said the scheme has been helpful in preventing the deaths due to chronic diseases.
“The patients get timely treatment without caring for the cost of the treatment. It has been very much helpful for cancer patients who need treatment in the initial stage of the disease,” they said—(KNO)
