PANAJI: Implementation of the universal mediclaim scheme, the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY), which has been a source of controversy since inception, has been deferred by 15 days. The scheme will now become effective from September 1 as against the initial August 15 deadline announced by the government.
Commissioning of the DDSSY had to be postponed as the cards to be issued to users are not ready in required numbers, deputy chief minister and health minister Francis D'Souza told TOI on Monday.
D'Souza said that as per one condition laid down in the contract, 50,000 cards have to be issued on the day the scheme becomes functional. "We have 38,000 cards ready for distribution. 5,000 cards are added every day," D'Souza said, and added they will comfortably have all 50,000 cards ready for distribution on September 1. As many as 24 private hospitals have been empanelled till date, and more will be brought on board in the days to come, he said.
Till date, 1,38,000 people have registered under DDSSY. Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, while speaking at an Independence Day function, reiterated that DDSSY will be rolled out from September 1.
Most private hospitals decided to participate in the DDSSY scheme only after the government decided to open all 400-plus interventions for them. But this decision has irked doctors attached to the Goa Medial College (GMC) and hospital and the student body, who feel that the functioning of the premier government hospital will suffer as it would receive fewer patients. They also fear that they will be robbed of teaching experience for MBBS students.
The health minister said the decision to throw open all procedures listed and covered under the scheme to private hospitals was taken in a bid to reduce GMC's patients load . "The waiting period for surgeries in GMC is one to two months. Why should patients suffer?" D'Souza said and added that the diversion of patients will also help in bringing down the work pressure on GMC's doctors.
Refusing to accept the argument put forth by government doctors opposed to all DDSSY interventions being kept open for private hospitals, D'Souza said, "It is wrong to assume that all people will rush to private hospitals and that government hospitals will go empty." Commenting that the intake capacity of private hospitals is limited, he opined that after DDSSY becomes functional, they may be able to accommodate just 20 to 30% additional patients than their present clientele.
The government expects to see the results of the scheme in the next three to four months.
TOI Goa News
Commissioning of the DDSSY had to be postponed as the cards to be issued to users are not ready in required numbers, deputy chief minister and health minister Francis D'Souza told TOI on Monday.
D'Souza said that as per one condition laid down in the contract, 50,000 cards have to be issued on the day the scheme becomes functional. "We have 38,000 cards ready for distribution. 5,000 cards are added every day," D'Souza said, and added they will comfortably have all 50,000 cards ready for distribution on September 1. As many as 24 private hospitals have been empanelled till date, and more will be brought on board in the days to come, he said.
Till date, 1,38,000 people have registered under DDSSY. Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, while speaking at an Independence Day function, reiterated that DDSSY will be rolled out from September 1.
Most private hospitals decided to participate in the DDSSY scheme only after the government decided to open all 400-plus interventions for them. But this decision has irked doctors attached to the Goa Medial College (GMC) and hospital and the student body, who feel that the functioning of the premier government hospital will suffer as it would receive fewer patients. They also fear that they will be robbed of teaching experience for MBBS students.
The health minister said the decision to throw open all procedures listed and covered under the scheme to private hospitals was taken in a bid to reduce GMC's patients load . "The waiting period for surgeries in GMC is one to two months. Why should patients suffer?" D'Souza said and added that the diversion of patients will also help in bringing down the work pressure on GMC's doctors.
Refusing to accept the argument put forth by government doctors opposed to all DDSSY interventions being kept open for private hospitals, D'Souza said, "It is wrong to assume that all people will rush to private hospitals and that government hospitals will go empty." Commenting that the intake capacity of private hospitals is limited, he opined that after DDSSY becomes functional, they may be able to accommodate just 20 to 30% additional patients than their present clientele.
The government expects to see the results of the scheme in the next three to four months.
TOI Goa News
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