Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 4: The High Court has directed the authorities to consider the request of Empanelled Private Hospitals for inclusion of four surgical procedures in Ayushman Bharat (AB-PMJAY) scheme for the empanelled private hospital in J&K for Below Poverty Line citizens.
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Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani disposed of the plea of private hospital at the very threshold by directing the concerned authorities to consider the inclusion of the surgical procedures, namely, Appendectomy, Cholecystectomy, Hemorrhoidectomy and Fissure in ANO, as per the Office Memorandum, in the ‘request for proposal’ for selection of Insurance Company for implementation of AB-PMJAY and AB-PMJAY-SEHAT in the Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir through empanelled petitioner-hospital and centers, as the same constitute the most common surgical procedures needed by common citizens living below poverty line who are not in a position to avail said services properly in the public hospitals.
The petitioners, who are the Proprietors/Administrators of different Empanelled Private Hospitals/Diagnostic Centers/ Dialysis Centers, had sought appropriate directions upon the authorities for extension of National Health Packages mentioned in the Office Memorandum dated 6th April, 2022/AB-PMJAY Health Benefit Package Master 2022 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the consequent amendment in the “request for proposal” for selection of Insurance Company in connection with the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat PMJAY-SEHAT in the Union Territory.
The court further directed the authorities to consider the extension of National Health Package mentioned in the Office Memorandum dated 6th April, 2022/AB-PMJAY Health Benefit Package Master 2022 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Consider the amendment to the request for, “proposal for selection of Insurance Company” for implementation of Araichman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna-SEHAT in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, so that the domiciles of the UT of J&K are in a position to equally avail the benefits of the flagship scheme at par with the other citizens of the country”, the court further directed.
Their counsel submitted before the court that the Government of India has launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna Scheme in September, 2018, which is a flagship programme of the Government and provides insurance cover up to Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10.74 crore entitled beneficiary families.
The counsel submitted that the Hospitals/Nursing Homes/Clinics have been empanelled under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the “request for proposal” further mentioned that four procedures, namely, Appendectomy, Cholecystectomy, Hemorrhoidectomy and Fissure in ANO, will be the reservation packages for Public Hospitals only.
The Government of Jammu Kashmir through its State Health Agency has issued a “Request for Proposal” for selection of Insurance Company for implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna-SEHAT in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir based on HBP (November, 2021) Scheme/Schedule, which has become redundant as on date due to the issuance of AB-PMJAY Health Benefit Package Master 2022 and this scheme of 2022 has to be implemented in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, as per Clause 5 of Office Memorandum dated 6th April, 2022/AB-PMJAY Health Benefit Package Master 2022.
“It is expected that respondents may have the consideration strictly as per the governing Yojana/Scheme before the award of contract to the selected Insurance Company”, read the order.
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