Since the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in the state, the state’s universal health scheme has hit a roadblock for new beneficiaries as well as those up for renewals.
PANAJI
Renewals for the 1.98 lakh families health cards insured under the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) has come to a halt after the Election Commission ordered all schemes to be put on hold. Beneficiaries, however, will be allowed to avail of benefits till March 31, when the insurance scheme is due for renewal.
The scheme renewal for beneficiaries through biometric verification was meant to begin from February 1, but due to the MCC will now have to wait till the end of the MCC on March 11.
According to the scheme, beneficiaries have to renew their DDSSY accounts before March 31 this year.
The Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) had been introduced in September last year with the aim of providing healthcare to Goan families through government as well as empanelled private hospitals.
A total of 2.12 lakh cards were ready to be distributed. Until before the MCC, 1.98 lakh cards were distributed. So far, there are a total of 14,000 cards that are ready but have not been distributed due to the implementation of the code.
Health Minister Francis D’Souza said, “We had been issued notices not to allow issuing of cards and the renewal has also been put on hold. This will be problem for those who want to renew them as well as all those that haven’t registered.”
The Senior Principal Secretary R K Srivastava in a letter to CEO and Chief Secretary said “where schemes have been cleared
and funds are provided or released and materials procured and reached the site such scheme may be executed as per programme.”
Speaking to The Goan and Chief Electoral Officer Kunal, said there would be no new addition of schemes but the existing ones would be allowed to continue.
“Those that have been issued the cards can use the schemes but no new beneficiaries can be added. Same is with the case of renewals.
We wanted to make it a level playing field for all candidates,” he said. He also added that the government could approach the election commission in case of an emergency,
but said no such request had been made.
As per the scheme, the annual renewal process would begin 60 days prior to the commencement of the next financial year. Currently, the state government pays the premium in four quarterly installments to the insurance company, United India Insurance Company Pvt.
A delay in renewal beyond March 31 would result in services getting discontinued till renewal and the premium payable will be reduced on pro rata basis as per delay beyond March 31.
The annual renewal for DDSSY necessitates the beneficiary visiting one of the 16 DDSSY Kendra and providing their bio-metric details to renew the DDSSY card for a period of one year, till March 2018.
