The health department has given a two-month extension to the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojna (MSBY). The health insurance scheme would continue in its old format till July 31. This is second extension to the scheme as the government is yet to float fresh tenders for the scheme this year.
The orders for extension of the scheme were issued on late afternoon on Wednesday. Earlier in the day the employees manning the MSBY help-desks in different hospitals of the day had no clue about the extension of the scheme due to which they refused services to the cardholders.
In the associated hospital of Doon Medical College (DMC), the patients visiting the help-desk were told that the term of the scheme had ended on May 31. Father of a girl who is getting treatment in the hospital, Firoz Khan said, “ I was told that the term of the card expired on May 31 and it is useless unless the government extends the scheme.’’
When contacted the in-charge of MSBY and Director Administration, Dr Prem lal said that the scheme in its current format has been extended for a period of two months. The scheme in its present form would continue till fresh tenders for scheme are floated.
The scheme at present gives an annual health cover of Rs50,000 per family and covers 1,514 diseases. The United India Insurance Company, a public sector general insurance company is taking task of providing health cover to 1074000 families of the State. The Harish Rawat Government was planning to increase the cover amount to Rs1.75 lakh from April 01 this year but the plan could not get materialised.
The scheme, which Chief Minister Harish Rawat regards as flagship social welfare measure was mired in many controversies since inception last year. The issues like inclusion of non eligible people, issuance of MSBY cards to dead persons, non cooperation of paneled hospitals and non disbursal of money from the insurance company to the hospitals and inflated premium demanded by the insurer have done their bit to make the scheme controversial.