Health scheme promises cover of up to 2L per family

Pune: The state cabinet has given its nod to the comprehensive insurance based health scheme 'Mahatma Phule Jana Arogya Yojana' through which will help the poor and needy people get treatment benefit for various diseases.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the scheme at the inauguration ceremony of the 126-bed Galaxy Care multi-speciality hospital here on Wednesday.
The new scheme is an improved version of the old Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana (RGJAY) floated by the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led government. The renamed scheme offers annual treatment benefit of up to Rs 2 lakh per family, which was Rs 1.5 lakh under RGJAY.
"The scheme covers 1,200 different treatment procedures for various ailments. It will benefit a large number of people across the state," Fadnavis said.
On how technology is changing the healthcare landscape in the country, Fadnavis said, "With the use of robotics and 3D images, technology has brought about precision in healthcare. But, it will be crucial to see that their benefits are not availed only by some section of the society. Hence, it is of paramount importance that technology in healthcare remains affordable and within the reach of common people."
He added that by using tele-medicines, doctors sitting at J J Hospital in Mumbai are advising tertiary care treatment to doctors attached with primary health centres in villages.
Talking about Pune Technique pioneered by cancer surgeon Shailesh Puntambekar, medical director of Galaxy Care hospital, for treatment of cancer, Fadnavis said, "The technique is now being used by surgeons in 40 countries across the world and shows that our surgeons are at par with those in developed countries."
S B Mujumdar, founder president of Symbiosis International University, emphasised on the need for positive changes in the current education system and also stressed on reviving the family doctor concept. "The state government needs to think whether a medical course with a short-duration can be designed and started along with the existing medical degrees."