Indore: Giving a break to the discussion whether Madhya Pradesh too would join the list of opposition-led states in opting out of ‘Ayushman Bharat,’ a flagship health scheme of Modi Government, Health Minister Tulsi Silawat said the state government is not thinking about opting out of the scheme.
Silawat on Tuesday said, “We don’t have any such plan to opt out the scheme for now. We will continue with the scheme and will try to provide better health facilities to the patients.” Meanwhile, state officials of Ayushman Bharat scheme ordered Medical Education Department officials to ensure empanelment of private medical colleges in the scheme as well.
In an order released by CEO of Ayushman Bharat ‘Niramaya’ Madhya Pradesh, private medical colleges under Medical Education Department will be empanelled in the scheme on the basis of National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) certificate. Those medical colleges doesn’t have the NABH certificate can be empanelled on the basis of desirability and feasibility certificate issued by medical education department and the colleges will have to obtain the certificate in one year.
Medical Education Department will have to constitute a committee presided by director of medical education which will inspect the colleges for infrastructure required to be empanelled in the scheme.
On the other hand, Health and Family Welfare Department has also directed private hospitals, which are empanelled for State Illness Assistance Fund (SAIF), to initiate opting Ayushman Bharat scheme as SAIF will be merged in Ayushman Bharat after March 31 and the department will not take the cases of SAIF from February 1, 2019. The steps have been taken by the departments to increase the number of private hospitals empanelled in the scheme as only few hospitals have shown interest in the scheme yet.
