'1.42L people benefitted from Delhi Arogya Kosh'

New Delhi: The Delhi government's Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK) has benefitted 1,42,202 people during the last two and a half years. The schemes were announced by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2017, under the Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK) with the aim to universalise free, efficient and quality healthcare for all. The Delhi government's aim to provide high-end diagnostics, surgeries and treatment of victims of road accidents, acid attacks and burn injuries, free of cost, has changed many lives in the city.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain said: "We want to provide free and quality healthcare to all, and are making avenues to reduce the burden on government hospitals while simultaneously ensuring timely treatment for patients. In the surgery scheme, it is up to the patient to decide amongst the impaneled private hospitals/ nursing homes because some might want to save out-of-pocket expenditure incurred on travel, while others may give more priority to the name of the hospital. Through the accident scheme, we are ensuring that no victim faces the threat of loss of life simply because a government hospital wasn't close by."

Under the high-end diagnostic scheme till June 30 around 1,34,609 patients had benefitted, getting tests including MRI, CT, PET CT, Nuclear, USG & Doppler, Mammography, ECHO & TMT, EEG & EMG and X-Ray ceaselessly and quickly from one of the 23 empanelled private labs.

Under the Free Surgery scheme, till June 2019 — 4,654 patients had received cashless treatment pertaining to Cardiac Surgery, Uro-Surgery, General Surgery, Lap-Cholecystectomy, ENT and Eye. The DAK encompasses three schemes — free high-end diagnostic scheme, free surgery scheme, and cashless treatment to medico-legal victims of road accidents, acid attacks, thermal burn injuries.