Bangalore, oct-29: Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader today said the state government would introduce Rajiv Gandhi Arogyashree health scheme offering treatment in hi-tech hospitals for above poverty line (APL) ration card holders.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the scheme will be identical to Vajayapee Arogyashree scheme now being extended to BPL card holders where the families can get serious treatment treated in top corporate and other hospitals where the government would pay up to 70 per cent of the medical bill while the card holder would pay the remaining 30 per cent.
The government had earmarked Rs 100 crore for the new health scheme and it was extended to APL card holders as most of them were lower middle income group.
Under the scheme treatment can be availed for Cardio Vascular Diseases, Cancer, kidney problems and other major ailments. The government would tie up with major hospitals in the state to ensure that beneficiaries gets cash less treatment, he said.
He said all beneficiaries under Vajayapee scheme were getting follow up treatment and free medicine every month in the districts. Selected doctors from the districts had been trained for the purpose at the Jayadeva Institute of VCDs in the city.
Mr Khader said a study conducted by Southern California School of Pharmacy had mentioned in its report published in British Medical Journal that Karnataka was the best state in successfully implementing Vajyapayee Arogyashree scheme in the country.
The report mentioned that 31,476 villages had availed the benefits of the scheme in 572 villages in the state.
