The smart card scheme (National Health Insurance Scheme) has been discontinued by the Central government but the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jant Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is operational in Chhattisgarh, the Assembly was informed on Tuesday.
The Chhattisgarh government has commenced the Dr Khubchand Baghel Health Assistance Health Scheme, said Health and Family Welfare Minister T.S. Singh Deo in a written reply.
BJP MLA Punnulal Mohle had sought status on closure of the smart card scheme, Dr Khubchand Baghel Health Assistance Health Scheme including the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY through a starred question.
Singh Deo said that Dr Khubchand Baghel Health Assistance Health Scheme was launched on January 1, 2020 and 1,211 hospitals have been listed under it to provide treatment.
As the Centre has discontinued the smart card scheme, it is non-operational. Replacing it, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is operational in the state. Based on it, a ‘package’ has been fixed for the hospitals for earmarked diseases and treatment with the private hospitals.
He said that as per the National Health Authority, treatment has been banned in private sector hospitals for certain diseases. For these diseases, free of cost treatment is being extended through government hospitals.
Only in extreme emergency, the treatment can be availed in private hospitals from the banned list of diseases.