Covid fails to deter Swasthya Sathi cell workers from performing duty

BALURGHAT: The pandemic has not been able to adversely affect the functioning of district Swasthya Sathi cell to provide the health facility relentlessly to the beneficiaries who are under the scheme.

According to an official source, a total number of 26 beneficiaries have received the 'Smart Cards' so far during the period of lockdown.

As per norms of the scheme, receiving Smart Card is mandatory to avail of the opportunity of the health facility.

Normally the concerned department used to enlist the eligible beneficiaries' names to provide them the Smart Cards through official camps. "Due to COVID-19 and to follow the social distancing norms to avoid community infection, it is impossible to conduct official camp. Despite the adverse situation, district Swasthya Sathi cell is providing Smart Cards to the beneficiaries on emergency basis with the kind cooperation of the state health department within 24 hours," said an official. Notably the Swasthya Sathi scheme was officially announced by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 30, 2016. The scheme provides basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs 5 lakh per annum per family.

Under the scheme, people get free treatment in all the state-run and several private facilities across the state. Around 1,570 hospitals across the state are entitled under the scheme.

In South Dinajpur, many underprivileged beneficiaries have so far received the free medical treatment during COVID-19 situation for instant and fast service provided by the district Swasthya Sathi cell. A beneficiary Priyanka Sarkar working under a Self Help Group (SHG) and residing in Balurghat block's Khaspur under Durlavpur gram panchayat received the Smart Card for her seven-month old ailing daughter who had been suffering from critical heart disease within 20 hours of her application during lockdown period. Similarly Mousumi Gupta of Gitanjali Colony in Balurghat for her son's heart operation, one Madhyamik Siksha Kendra (MSK) teacher for cancer treatment and two SHG

working women, one from Gangarampur and other from Hili thus benefitted in lockdown.

Ranu Mondal, the official of district Swasthya Sathi cell said: "We are bound to provide Smart Cards to the beneficiaries so that they can get the health facility free of cost. We are providing the essential service uninterruptedly despite COVID-19 and lockdown situation."