City hosps make arrangements for transition to Ayushman Bharat

Kolkata: City hospitals are ready for a switch to Ayushman Bharat scheme or a transition of the existing Swasthya Sathi into the former, as per the govt's direction. A Swasthya Bhavan meeting on Friday took up the issue, raising hopes of a revival of a universal health scheme on the lines of the Swasthya Sathi introduced by the Trinamool govt that was virtually shut out at most hospitals after the change of political guard in the state. Now, several hospitals that have been receiving queries on Ayushman Bharat from patients and families have started ‘preparing' to adopt a new scheme.Several already admit patients under Ayushman Bharat and said they were looking forward to a universal scheme combining the benefits of Swasthya Sathi and Ayushman."We have received numerous calls from patients since Saturday, enquiring about Ayushman Bharat and how to enrol for it. We are on the panel for the scheme and admit patients under Ayushman, though all of them are from neighbouring states. Now, we are getting queries from local patients, especially those above 70 years who are eligible under the scheme without other conditions. We expect an announcement soon," said Ruby General Hospital chief general manager – operations Subhashis Datta. A smooth transition or convergence of Swasthya Sathi with Ayushman Bharat will be beneficial to patients, said Rupak Barua, president of the Association of Hospoitals of Eastern India (AHEI) and Woodlands Hospital CEO. "We need a universal health scheme that will cover everyone. While Ayushman has multiple conditions, it's a national scheme and could be fused with Swasthya Sathi, a universal scheme. That way, none will be left out. Also, the new scheme should make sure that the rates are reasonable and the packages are priced reasonably so that all hospitals can accept it. Swasthya Sathi patients were refused at most hospitals due to the poor cost structure. Also, payments to hospitals need to be quicker," added Barua.Ayushman Bharat needs to be implemented soon for the sake of patients, said Prashant Sharma, CEO of Charnock Hospital and chairperson of the Indian Chamber of Commerce healthcare committee. "India implemented the world's largest universal health coverage under Ayushman Bharat, opening the gates of treatment for the lowest strata of society. A smooth transition from Swasthya Sathi to Ayushman will be essential for the continuity of medical facilities for the people of Bengal," said Sharma.Desun Hospital already receives a steady flow of patients from Bihar and Jharkhand who are admitted under Ayushman Bharat scheme, said Sajal Dutta, chairman and MD, Desun Hospital. "We welcome the discussions around convergence of Ayushman Bharat and Swasthya Sathi, as any step towards streamlining healthcare access and reducing financial burden on patients is encouraging. However, we would request the govt to do it in a phased manner so that hospitals don't have issues in processing applications, and patients don't face any problems."BP Poddar Hospital is still accepting Swasthya Sathi cards for patients but in a limited way. "It is a govt scheme that can't be rejected till replaced. At present, we are awaiting further updates, guidelines and instructions from the govt," said Supriyo Chakrabarty, group advisor.