NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 8.59 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 1.19 Lakh Crore have been authorised under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) as on January 1, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Friday.
He also said 5.63 Crore vulnerable individuals have been screened and 1.59 Lakh new tuberculosis patients notified since the launch of the 100-day intensified TB elimination campaign in 348 districts in December last year.
Underlining that steps are taken for prevention and detection of different kinds of fraud in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said suitable actions, including de-empanelment of 1,114 hospitals, levying penalty worth Rs 122 Crore on 1,504 errant hospitals and suspension of 549 hospitals have been taken against fraudulent entities.
In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha, he said the National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU) has been established at National Health Authority and works in close coordination with State Anti-Fraud Units (SAFU) to investigate and take joint action against issues related to fraud and abuse.
Further, any claims by empanelled hospitals found to be suspicious by NAFU are withheld until proper scrutiny by SAFU teams, including field verification where necessary.
As on February 4, nine doctors and 71 hospitals have been suspended under the scheme in Gujarat. Additionally, two hospitals have been de-empanelled and one hospital has been blacklisted.
A total recovery of Rs 15.08 Crore has been made, while penalties amounting to Rs 19.90 Crore have been imposed, Nadda stated.
The AB-PMJAY is a flagship scheme of the government which provides health cover of Rupees five Lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to approximately 55 Crore beneficiaries corresponding to 12.37 Crore families constituting economically vulnerable bottom 40 per cent of India’s population.
Recently, the scheme has been expanded to cover 6 crore senior citizens of age 70 years and above belonging to 4.5 Crore families irrespective of their socio-economic status under AB-PMJAY.
As regards fight against TB, the minister said in a written response to a question, 4.94 lakh Ni-kshay shivirs have been held while 86,748 new Ni-kshay Mitras have been registered and 1.12 Lakh food baskets disbursed to TB patients and their family members.
The government had on December 7 last year launched the intensified TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan in identified 347 priority districts across 33 states and UTs, including eight districts of Himachal Pradesh, to accelerate the endeavour to achieve Sustainable Development Goals related to TB. Out of the total campaign districts, 38 are tribal, 27 are mining and 46 are aspirational districts.
The campaign follows a renewed approach to find missing TB cases, reduce TB deaths and prevent new cases, Nadda said.
To ensure equitable access, special outreach camps have been organised to screen vulnerable population, offer X-ray and Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) tests, either through mobile medical vans or by mobilizing them to the nearest health facility equipped with X-ray. All services related to TB have been decentralised to the level of Ayushman Arogya Mandir, Nadda said.
Campaign specific information, education and communication materials have been developed and disseminated to educate the public and raise awareness about symptoms, prevention and the importance of timely treatment for TB in the campaign states and UTs, including Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
With inputs from PTI
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