The State Government on Tuesday signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with six private hospitals for provision of financial assistance to poor patients. These include Care Hospital, Visakhapatnam; Apollo Hospital, Visakhapatnam; SevenHills Hospital, Visakhapatnam; Escort Heart Centre, Raipur; Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital, Raipur, and Ramkrishna Care Hospital, Raipur.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the objective was for availing specialised treatment to poor people living in the remotest parts of the State.
He said that after introduction of the Odisha State Treatment Fund scheme on December 15, 2011, the demand on Government health institutions has increased substantially leading to long waiting lists, especially in case of highly specialised treatment relating to heart, lungs or kidney. Further, some specialised treatments are also not available within the State. So, a decision was taken to empanel good private hospitals both within and outside the State as referral hospitals for specialised treatments.
This would greatly benefit the people of the State, particularly the people of the KBK districts because of their proximity to Visakhapatnam and Raipur, he said.
Patnaik added that out of the 21 hospitals empanelled so far, MoUs with 14 hospitals located within the State were signed last month.
The Odisha State Treatment Fund is a flagship scheme of the State Government. BPl patients and patients with annual income of less than Rs 40,000 in rural areas and less than Rs 60,000 in urban areas are eligible beneficiaries under the scheme with assistance up to Rs 3 lakh being provided to them for treatment and medicine cost.
The assistance is provided through all Government hospitals as well as the private hospitals empanelled as referral hospitals. From its inception till July 19, 2013, as many as 13,314 poor patients have been provided assistance to the tune of Rs 23.03 crore.
The MoU function was attended by Health Minister Dr Damodar Rout, Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra, Health Secretary PK Mohapatra and representatives of the private hospitals.