AYUSHMAN BHARAT: Rural folks throng cities for govt health schemes

There has been an increase in the number of hospitals application from rural districts under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme (AB-PMJAY), but rural folks continue to throng cities to avail health services. According to the officials, due to lack of facilities in rural areas, people from rural areas prefer to take benefits of the scheme from city hospitals.

The State Health Assurance Society (SHAS) stated that the PMJAY has been started in 492 hospitals in the state. From August 2018 to April 2019, more than1,168 hospitals have applied for the empanelment under PMJAY.

"We get applications from private as well as public hospitals from rural areas. There is a lack of infrastructure, facilities and manpower for major surgeries. In such situation, rural populace trusts the urban hospitals which have better facilities," said Dr Sudhakar Shinde, CEO, Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY).

As per a recent RTI response from KEM Hospital, Mumbai, out of the total 19 beneficiaries of the AB-PMJAY scheme since October 2018, 14 were from rural Maharashtra while five beneficiaries were from other states.

In Mumbai around 31, 823 surgeries have been performed under the AB-PMJAY and MJPAY scheme. Dr Shinde said that beneficiaries mainly seek help for heart failure, cardiac attack, and dysfunctional kidney.

The maximum number of application was recorded in the month of September last year. Around 555 hospitals applied. Followed by 423 applications in January this year.