BENGALURU: The doors of the three Railway Central hospitals in the Bengaluru, Hubballi and Mysuru Divisions of South Western Railway Zone have been opened to all beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) beneficiaries. Under the Yojana, families falling under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category are insured for a sum of Rs 5 lakh annually.
An awareness campaign to popularise this initiative was organised at the KSR railway station on Thursday by the Medical department of SWR Zone and the Government of Karnataka. Divisional Railway Manager Ashok Kumar Varma inaugurated it. Speaking to the New Indian Express, Dr M Ravindra, Principal Chief Medical Director, SWR Zone, said though the scheme was launched recently, the beneficiaries are not aware of the facility.
“We have conducted an awareness campaign among the railway contract labourers and porters so that they avail the facility for any serious illness. It is open not just to railway staff but to all AB-PMJAY beneficiaries in the country,” he said.
The 50-bed Railway Central hospital, located behind the KSR railway station at MG Railway Colony, in Bengaluru was open only to permanent railway employees so far. “The hospital will now accept all eligible patients. Similarly, the doors of the Mysuru and Hubballi Railway hospitals too will be open to all AB-PMJAY beneficiaries,” Dr Ravindra said. The Bengaluru Division also has health units at Yesvantpur, Cantonment, Bangarpet and Hindupur but inpatient facility is available only in the main hospital.
On Thursday, a total of 158 people attended the camp and 30 people were found eligible for the scheme. “Similar awareness campaigns will be held at Hubballi and Mysuru Divisions in the coming weeks,” he added. An official release said the Ministry of Railways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Authority empanelling Railway Hospitals under PMJAY.