Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Thursday announced the inauguration of the State Health Agency (SHA), which aims to bring various state and Union government schemes under one umbrella. This will include the state’s Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati and Karunya Benevolent Fund Scheme, as well as the Union government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme. With this, the government hopes to make sure that the benefits of these schemes reach those who need them the most, the minister said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the SHA stepped in to ensure that patients did not have to pay exorbitant prices for treatment. While government hospitals were already engaged in COVID-19 treatment, the SHA held discussions with private hospitals to treat the patients, as well as establish a standardised rate for treatment.
According to the press statement, the state bears 100% of expenses for the health treatments of 19,51,453 families covered under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Scheme. "Forty per cent of the treatment expenses of the 22,01,131 families under the Ayushman Scheme, in partnership with the Union government, is also borne by the Kerala government. In two years, the government provided free treatment of Rs 1,0,36.89 crore and sanctioned claim of Rs 17.14 lakh," Health Minister Shailaja said.
The release added that the number of claims being dismissed by private insurance companies has reduced since the inception of the SHA. Additionally, free treatment under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Scheme is available for a total of 566 hospitals, including 373 private hospitals, in the state. “Government assistance for kidney transplant procedures, as per the National Health Authority, is Rs 1.5 lakh. However, steps are being taken to raise it to Rs 4 lakh in the state,” KK Shailaja said.
She added that, when the LDF government came into power, 33% of the people depended on public hospitals for treatment. “But with the continuous intervention of this government and the strengthening of hospitals, the number of people relying on government hospitals has increased to 50%. Now, 72% of the total claims come from government hospitals,” she said.