The government of Karnataka has opted to launch a universal health scheme named Arogya Bhagya. It is expected to help all citizens in the state by providing either subsidized or free health care. This facility would include emergency care and would be available at government hospitals as well as private facilities that are on the state government’s panel for this particular programme. The state government would be rolling out the programme from 1 November 2017. The state cabinet that met on 28 August under the aegis of Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, has already provided its consent to this particular programme. The programme is supposed to incorporate seven health care programmes that are already being run by the state government.
More details about the programme
The government has already set aside INR 869.4 crore for the programme. This is however only the annual cost for running the programme. While briefing the media on this issue, TB Jayachandra, the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Karnataka, stated that the programme will cover 1.4 crore households as per Category A. They will be able to get healthcare for free and would not need to pay anything for any treatment availed by them. This includes entities such as the following:
- Farmers
- Teachers from aided schools
- Anganwadi workers
- Unorganized labourers such as auto drivers, porters, rag pickers, mining workers, street vendors, construction workers, weavers, sanitation workers, and MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers
- SC (scheduled caste)/ ST (scheduled tribe)
- Pourakarmikas
- Animal bite victims
- Mediapersons
- Members of co-operative societies
- Government employees
- Vajapeyi Arogyasri
- Yashaswini
- Jyothi Sanjivini
- Mukhyamantri Santhwana Harish scheme
- Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakrama
- Rajiv Arogya Bhaga
- Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
