NEW DELHI: In order to reduce the constraints of economically weaker sections, the Delhi High Court has asked the Central and AAP-led city governments to streamline the process of availing free medical treatment under government schemes in city hospitals, while forming a seven-member committee to look into the current system.
“Procedure for availing free medical treatment must be streamlined, including various surgeries, as well as surgeries for implants/devices and to put in place a single-window mechanism with designated nodal officers at each hospital,” a division bench headed by Justice Satish Kumar Sharma said in a recent order. The bench also comprising Justice Sanjeev Narula observed that the city government has formulated Delhi Arogya Kosh and Delhi Arogya Nidhi schemes, and these initiatives are complemented by ancillary programmes aimed at providing medical services to Delhi residents.
The Centre has launched schemes like Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi and Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant. “Nonetheless, we have been apprised of the constraints faced by individuals from economically weaker sections when attempting to avail benefits of the scheme. These constraints manifest at many stages: during treatment, submission of applications for financial aid, procurement of quotations concerning implants, procedure for disbursing amounts, and finally, while undergoing medical procedures including surgeries,” the court said.
The process for availing medical facilities under these schemes should be significantly streamlined and made easily accessible, the court stressed. “The ministries of health and family welfare (at both Central and state levels) and the MCD should create revolving funds to cater to the recurring expenditure of patients suffering from chronic, rare, debilitating or lethal diseases, including all necessary forms of treatment such as surgeries and procurement of implants and devices,” it said.
Create revolving funds for treatment, govts told
The HC in its order, has asked ministries of health and family welfare (at Central and state levels) as well as MCD to create revolving funds to cater to recurring expenditure of patients suffering from chronic,
rare, debilitating or lethal diseases, including all necessary forms of treatment such as surgeries and procurement of implants and devices