Swasthya Sathi: Patients can avail free treatment at Regional Institute of Ophthalmology

kolkata: Patients coming to the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) for eye surgeries will now be able to avail free treatment under the State government's flagship project, Swasthya Sathi scheme.

The decision was recently taken during the Rogi Kalyan Samiti meeting of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. The patients getting admitted to the RIO with eye treatment do not get free treatment under Swasthya Sathi scheme till now.

All the patients coming to RIO will be brought under Swasthya Sathi scheme so that they can avail free treatment under the state government's flagship project.

Eye-related diseases, which are not covered under the National Blindness Control Programme, will be treated under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. All the critical surgeries except cataract surgeries will be performed under Swasthya Sathi.

It may be mentioned here that the review committee of Swasthya Sathi scheme wanted to know from different medical colleges and hospitals about if there is any new type of disease needed to be included under the Swasthya Sathi list. State government will also allow funds for the treatment of these diseases.

Some private hospitals were involved in 'siphoning off' government funds under Swasthya Sathi scheme by various means and ways, following which the state Health department imposed some restrictions on cataract surgeries.