50% public hospitals part of 900 new empanelled slots

Mumbai: As the state rolls out universal healthcare, besides increasing the coverage amount for each family, the new version expands the number of medical procedures covered from 996 to 1,356 and empanelled hospitals from 1,000 to 1,900. Ramesh Chavan, CEO of the State Health Assurance Society (SHAS), which implements MJPJAY, said the scheme has growing demand. The number of surgeries performed under the scheme increased by 70% in five years, rising from 6.03 lakh in 2019-20 to 10.25 lakh in 2023-24. "We are encouraging good hospitals to join the scheme as the rates of procedures have been increased by 15-20%," Chavan said.Since its inception, over 65 lakh surgeries have been carried out under MJPJAY. Some of the most demanded specialities include all modalities of cancer treatment, cardiac procedures and cardiothoracic surgeries, kidney procedures, paediatrics, and polytrauma.

To expand the scheme's reach, SHAS is scrutinising nearly 1,600 applications for the additional 900 empanelment slots that have opened. "Of the 900 new hospitals, 50% will be public," an official said. In Mumbai, where 57 hospitals are currently part of the scheme, more than a dozen have requested to be empanelled, including SevenHills Hospital. But the city's five-star charitable hospitals have yet to show any inclination to join.A senior public health activist said that while the expansion of the scheme is encouraging news, there are areas where the government needs to strengthen surveillance. "The state needs to guarantee the elimination of extra cash demands for beneficiaries, which are still rampant at several hospitals. There also needs to be higher distribution in less privileged districts," the activist said. Karnataka, Tripura, Meghalaya are among the first few states to have rolled out universal coverage in the last few years.Chavan mentioned their plan to engage a third-party agency to closely monitor service utilisation, identify specialties experiencing higher demand, and detect any misuse of the scheme by centres, leveraging AI and data analytics. In Maharashtra, alongside the MJPJAY, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is also operational in an integrated manner, providing coverage to 83 lakh families identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011).

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