LG gives nod to Delhi govt's 'quality health for all' scheme

NEW DELHI: The Lieutenant Governor has approved the 'quality health for all' scheme, informed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday. The CM also noted that the LG has removed the 'income criteria' for the scheme, which earlier he recommended to incorporate.

Kejriwal thanked LG Anil Baijal for concurring with the cabinet decision on providing quality healthcare for all residents of Delhi, following the CM's meeting with him last week.

Baijal had earlier sent back the cabinet decision for reconsideration suggesting that income criteria be applied on the proposal for ratification of amendments in the eligibility criteria for availing financial assistance for specified high-end diagnostic tests/surgeries in private radiological centres/hospitals through Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK).

According to reports, so far, more than 12,000 people have availed the benefit of Delhi government scheme of getting their surgeries done free of cost in the empanelled private medical institutions on being referred by Delhi government hospitals, Mohalla and Polyclinics in the year 2017.

Earlier, when LG returned the file with a recommendation, health minister Satyendar Jain questioned the LG's objections saying, "What is the need to fix income limit? When all people pay tax, then all people deserve free healthcare from the state."

Delving into the LG's objections, the minister had said that even if the scheme is accepted, the objections "will render the whole scheme unworkable." Further, he charged that like the case of 'doorstep delivery of services' scheme, "objections raised by the LG in this scheme are also based on lack of knowledge of ground realities."

Stating that the LG had also not discussed the issue with the elected chief minister or the concerned minister, Jain said: "If the LG had discussed it with the CM or minister, most of his objections could have been removed, thus saving precious time in sending files up and down."

Jain said that the AAP government had proposed that if a patient in any Delhi government hospital needs a diagnostic test, and if that hospital cannot perform the same for whatever reasons, then the patient can get that test done from any of 67 private labs/hospitals which have been empanelled for this purpose. The Delhi government would bear the entire cost of the test and pay to that private hospital or lab.