Last Updated on September 21, 2020 at 1:48 pm
Confusion prevailed on the issue of registration for the Jammu Kashmir Health insurance scheme (Ayushman Bharat) as the common service centres (CSCs) and empanelled hospitals refused to register the beneficiaries today as they were unaware of the registration process.
The government had announced registration for the scheme for all residents of J&K from 21 September, but no instructions in this regard were sent to the CSCs. Telephone calls to several CSCs till the afternoon yielded no results.
When contacted at the toll-free phone number of Ayushman Bharat, it was informed that the scheme has been launched but those handling the phone call were also unaware why the CSCs in Jammu were not informed about the procedure.
Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha had on 11 September announced the J&K Health Scheme providing universal Health Insurance to all residents of J&K. The first of a kind initiative in the country to provide Universal health benefit to entire population of Rs.5 lakh annual health insurance coverage per family on floater basis was announced.
It was later announced that registration for the scheme under Ayushman Bharat would begin on 21 September and the date of launch of the scheme would be announced later. However, it was disappointment for the would be beneficiaries as the CSCs could not start the registration process till late in the afternoon and they were waiting for instructions of the government.
Interestingly, such scheme was also announced by the previous Lt. Governor GC Murmu on 18 March for covering the entire population of J&K under the cashless insurance scheme. However, that scheme remained unimplemented and the new Lt. Governor Sinha also announced the universal insurance scheme on 11 September.
Reasons for the authorities not informing the CSCs about the registration process were not known as senior officers of the health services were not reachable on phone.
