Mangaluru: MLA and former state minister U T Khader on Tuesday criticised the government for the failure of the Ayushman Bharat scheme that was introduced to benefit those in need of medical care.
“The people are clueless about the scheme as proper details about the same has not been circulated among the public,” he said, adding that no one knows whether the scheme covers only those infected with COVID-19 or other illnesses as well. “There has been a lot of confusion and hassle while using the scheme as no guidelines have been issued,” he said.
“The public has to face a lot of inconveniences and hardships because of the change of nodal officers during the COVID-19 pandemic and other sicknesses and the government has turned a blind eye towards them. Why did the government change nodal officers when it knew about the current crisis. People are not sure about whom to call or meet during emergencies,” He said, urging the government to set up a toll-free helpline number either at the Deputy Commissioner’s office or at the office of the district-in-charge minister for health care purposes.
MLA Khader also criticised the government’s move of replacing nodal officers people with dental and Ayurvedic backgrounds when there are other experienced MSW graduates and officers to handle the COVID-19 situation. “Dental or Ayurvedic doctors will not work for a salary of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000,” he added.
Former MLA Abhaya Chandra Jain, who was also present at the press meet, said, “When U T Khader was the health minister, he took care of the health care issues with dedication and hard work. What is the present health care minister doing when the people are facing all kinds of health problems, including COVID-19. U T Khader is a true son of the soil in serving the needy. There are hospitals charging exorbitant fees apart from the benefits available under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. This needs to be stopped. I have noticed many such cases and many people have come to me for financial help. As the state’s health care administration is sub-par, several hurdles are being created in the implementation of government health schemes. It is the responsibility of the district in-charge minister and health minister to serve the people when they need help.”
