Seeing rising number of patients in UP, state government is trying to involve more government hospitals under national health insurance scheme (NHIS) so that persons living in remote areas could get benefited through it, the Health minister Ahmed Hasan on Friday said.
Speaking at a press conference in state capital, the minister said, out of 1486 hospitals empanelled under NHIS only 663 were government hospital which was not satisfactory.
The number of private hospitals providing endurance facility under the scheme was 823.
In next phase of scheme the efforts has been launched to add more government hospitals in view of average 25 lakh new patients visiting hospitals every year. The government had appointed a public relation officer (PRO) at each district hospital for better co-ordination of hospital with patients and government agencies, he said.
Stressing that the centre had warned closing NHIS in UP owing to scams taking place frequently in health department during previous Bahujan Samaj Party regime, Hasan said, but under efficient direction of young chief minister Akhilesh Yadav the health department in UP has improved a lot within one year of Samajwadi party government.
About 49 lakh smart cards, enabling people to avail benefit under NHIS, so far has been provided to BPl persons and still smart cards were being made in 21 districts, he said.
Responding to queries related to a single person getting several smart cards which could be misused in future, the secretary to chief minister Alok Kumar admitted discrepancies in the scheme and said, already arrangements have made so that persons having multiple cards could not get the insurance amount from banks enlisted in scheme.
Congratulating the health department officials whose work helped UP winning most improved state under NHIS, the minister said, it may take some time but work culture in health department was bound to change. The award was given by union labour minister, Mallikarjun Khadge to officials of UP in a national level workshop in Kerala this month.