Taking grave notice of reports regarding scanners failed to detect fingerprints for the biometric identification of beneficiaries to generate e-cards under Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna (SSBY), Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Tuesday instructed all the Civil Surgeons to make people aware regarding availability of iris scanners in all empanelled hospitals to register beneficiaries, if fingerprint scanner will fail to detect the skin abrasion.
Sidhu informed that beneficiaries can get registered using this alternative method and appropriate provisions are already available in the software wherein the beneficiaries can be enrolled either through fingerprint reader or iris scanner.
Instructions have already been issued to all empanelled hospitals in this regard and strict action would be taken against the health establishments if found any laxity, he said.The Minister reiterated that Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government is committed to cover every eligible beneficiary of SSBY so as to ensure the quality health services at the doorsteps of needy patients.
He said that the Chief Minister had launched this flagship scheme from August 20, 2019, and in just five months, the State Health Agency has issued the 40,83,715 e-cards to the beneficiaries.“To expedite this process, the Punjab Government has also hired new agency to generating e-cards,” he added.
Sidhu said that the health services of worth Rs 147.10 crore have been provided to 1,36,425 patients so far under this scheme.
Of these, more than 2462 have availed the treatment of heart surgery, 2183 have undergone cancer treatment and 3720 elderly have got joint replacement.