In a move being interpreted as extending its outreach to the marginalised sections of society, the BJP government in Karnataka has announced monetary aid for SC/ST patients suffering from rare and high-cost treatment diseases.
Making the announcement on Thursday, Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar said, "Aid for several types of diseases is currently being provided under the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka Scheme. However, certain rare and high-cost diseases that are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and for such diseases where there is no facility to provide treatment in government hospitals, monetary aid for it will be provided by the state government through Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust using unspent Scheduled Caste Sub Plan/Tribal Sub Plan fund allocation."
The state government plans to dip into unspent allocations to the tune of Rs 23.18 crore to fund the new scheme.
The government will provide Rs 10,000 for positron emission tomography scan, Rs 7 lakh and Rs 21 lakh for autologous and allogenic bone marrow transplants, respectively, and Rs 1.5 lakh for robotic surgeries, under the scheme.
"Karnataka government under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is building upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's dream of helping the poor and vulnerable through the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Patients who belong to the SC/ST communities will be greatly benefitted as aid is being extended to even rare and high cost diseases," said the Health Minister.
(With inputs from IANS)
