Y.S. Rana,Chandigarh, Feb 26 :Soon street vendors in Haryana will be covered under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima yojana (RSBY) as the government of Haryana is compiling and evaluating the data of street vendors and their families. While stating this here on Saturday, an official of the health department told that the number of beneficiaries under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme in Haryana has now touched the figure of 36.18 lakh including their family members. Medical services under ESI scheme were provided to 7.42 lakh insured persons and their families during the year 2010-11.
The RSBY scheme for BPL families was started in the state in 2008 only. Haryana was the first state that had issued the first card under the scheme in district Yamunanagar in April, 2008. While stating this here on Saturday, an official spokesman said that about 6.6 lakh smart cards were issued up to December 31 to provide health insurance cover to the BPL families and the amount of claims was Rs 15.05 crore.
Further the official stated that Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana was a flagship scheme of the government whereby the below poverty line families ( five members) were being provided free healthcare insurance cover up to Rs. 30000 per annum on floater basis.
Haryana has added another feather in its cap when it implemented the scheme within a year all over the state whereas it was to be implemented in phased manner in five years, he said. The state had excelled in the implementation of the scheme which had been appreciated by the Central Government also. The state was awarded commendation certificates by Government of India for two consecutive years in 2009 and 2010 at the National level.
He said that ESI Health Care, Department was providing comprehensive medical services and facilities to ESI beneficiaries through ESI Hospitals and ESI dispensaries located in 18 districts (except Kurukshetra, Narnaul and Kaithal). The medical benefits provided to the insured persons included out-patient and in-patient treatment, specialist’s consultation, free supply of drugs, dressings and artificial limbs and appliances, x-ray and laboratory investigations, antenatal care, natal and postnatal care, domiciliary visit by medical officers, vaccination and preventive inoculations, ambulance services, implementation of all National Health programmes including RNTCP, AIDS, NRHM, Pulse Polio, etc, medical certification for sickness period, special provisions for advance money for specialized treatment and reimbursement and free supply of medicines.
He said that the total number of indoor patients attended were 19,539 and total outdoor patients attended were 20.41 lakh up to December last. Besides this, government had accorded approval for hiring of vehicles on contractual basis for transportation of insured persons and pregnant mothers to ESI Dispensary and Hospital in district Faridabad. Hospital Development Committees for ESI Hospitals were functioning at district Faridabad, Yamuna Nagar, Panipat and Bhiwani for general maintenance and up gradation of services in hospitals and dispensaries. Medical College at ESI Hospital, Faridabad was being constructed by Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Govt. of India at an estimated cost of 55,000 lakh.
He said that a temporary part time dispensary in Khanak area, Bhiwani had been opened. A new mobile dispensary in Tohana Area had been approved. An Ayurvedic dispensary at Gurgaon had also been sanctioned. A state of art 100 bedded hospital had been started in Gurgaon by the ESI Corporation for the benefit of the 3.5 lakh Insured Persons and their families. Medical and para- medical staff of ESI Health Care conducted medical camps in factory sites. The total financial budget proposed for the year 2011-12 was 11310.12 lakh which included 6569.00 lakh of Non Plan scheme and 4741.12 lakh of Plan Scheme. EOM