Amid increasing complaints of irregularities done mainly by small private hospitals empanelled in the ambitious Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana (AAUY),  the bigger hospitals, both government and private are doing a commendable work in implementation of the scheme.

The Swami Ram Himalayan hospital, Jollygrant has so far treated 6992 patients under AAUY since its inception in the state has received a claim of Rs 6.72 Crore under the scheme. Similarly, the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Rishikesh has treated 3700 patients while Mahant Indiresh Hospital, Dehradun has provided treatment to 3635 patients under the scheme.

The Government medical college hospital Haldwani has treated 2060, Government Doon Medical College (GDMC), 1172 and Base Hospital, Haldwani has provided treatment to 1057 patients so far under the scheme. The chairman of the State Health Authority (SHA), D K Kotia reviewed the progress of the AAUY on Thursday. He was informed that golden cards of 32 Lakh people so far have been prepared and a total of 38177 patients have availed benefit of scheme in the empanelled government and private hospitals.

The SHA agency has approved a sum of Rs 37 Crore to different hospital under different packages of the scheme.  Kotia was informed that 14536 patients have undergone surgeries under the scheme while 1374 cancer and 802 heart patients have availed benefit under the scheme.

Kotia said that the scheme has become very popular in the plain districts and is now attaining popularity in the mountainous districts.  He said that 1252 patients in Chamoli, 2175 in Pauri, 2310 in Tehri , 1017 in Pithoragarh and 1223 patients in Uttarkashi district have so far taken benefit of the scheme which proves that the AAUY has become popular in mountainous districts as well.

Taking a stern note of the hospitals engaging in  irregularities in implementation of scheme, Kotia said that exemplary punitive action would be taken against such hospitals. On the other hand the encouragement to the hospitals doing good work in AAUY would be provided, he said.Launched, on December 25, 2018, the AAUY provides a cover of Rs 5 lakh per annum to all 23 lakh families of Uttarakhand in the panelled hospitals under the scheme. Patients can avail benefit of the scheme for 1350 types of diseases in these hospitals. For treatment in the private empanelled hospitals, the patients are needed to be referred from the government hospitals.  As per the provisions of the scheme, the patients should be referred only when the required treatment is not available in the government centres.