Letter to Editor
Ayushman Bharat Patients woes
24/09/2022
Sir,
My younger brother namely Shakti Kumar (ID-P425NF27) who is an Ayushman Bahrat-Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna" Card holder was denied treatment under this Govt. Health Scheme on the ground that his biometric data doest match with Beneficiary's card. My brother retired from The Woolen Factory Dhariwal (Govt. of India Undertaking) in November, 2021, the factory which is on the verge of closure. Pertinent to mention that before getting the Ayushamn Card, he fulfilled all the requisite requirements. The Card being genuine and authentic, the mismatching might have occurred due to some technical glitch. But the question is that why the patient had to suffer for no fault of his. My brother who was suffering from Dengue fever whose platelets gone down substantially was advised by a local doctor to get him admitted immediately at Amritsar Hospital. Accordingly, he was admitted in Akashdeep Hospital, Majitha Road, Amritsar on 10th of September. Initially, my brother and the attending relatives were told that his Ayushman Card needed updating. However, no such instructions are found recorded on the back side of the Card. Since this was an emergency case, without waiting further, he was constrained to get admitted as private patient while as he ought to have been admitted under the AB-SSBY health scheme. He remained admitted there up to 14th of September and was finally discharged on 14th Instant with his health showing some improvements. I did talk to the dealing employees of this heath scheme. They did agree with my view point, but expressed their helplessness in the matter. Accordingly, the patients who could have got the mandatory free treatment under the much touted health scheme of the Govt. but unfortunately had to shell out thirty thousand excluding costs of medicines despite the fact that the Card was/is active. The amount was unaffordable for him due to his financial penury. The Govt. need to issue suitable instructions to all empanelled hospitals not to deprive such patients from the treatment under this Govt. Health Scheme on grounds of technical glitches considering the Scheme being the only source of some hope for them in view of their precarious financial position.
Yours Sincerely,
RAVI SHARMA,
DHARIWAL
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