Admin Expands Golden Card Benefits

90 Treatment Procedures Approved Under The Scheme

Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday expanded the benefits under Golden Cards to 90 more medical procedures, including pacemaker implantation and endovascular treatment, officials said.

According to a government handout, the approval to the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, as the scheme is officially called, was made by a meeting of the State Health Agency chaired by by its Chief Executive Officer, Yasin Mohammad Choudhary.

“The decision of extending these unspecified cases was taken after SHA received these cases from empanelled Healthcare Providers related to various specialities. As per the guidelines of unspecified cases issued by NHA, Medical Committee has discretion to take the decision on these cases,” officials said.

They added: “To bring more efficiency in the operation of scheme for greater good of patients of J&K, SHA would launch new Health Benefit Packages 2.2 with revised rate of 409 packages.”

Besides administration officials, experts and other stakeholders related to the scheme were also present in the meeting. Choudhary stressed on suggestions from all stake holders for incorporation of newer therapies and medicines for treatment of cancer patients which were not incorporated earlier.

The committee, as per officials, also suggested allowing the clubbing of surgical medical packages in the Transaction Management System (TMS). Choudhary asked members to submit detailed report for clubbing medical and surgical packages for onward submission to the NHA.

Choudhary also sought suggestions from members regarding the inclusion of high-end antibiotics and lifesaving drugs like immunoglobulins and albumin.

“This is a not a normal scheme,” Choudhary said. “All of us have to get our act together and ensure that people are benefitted in fair and transparent way.”

The meeting was attended by officials from the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar, the Super Specialty Hospital and the Government Medical College in Jammu, and other officials from both Kashmir and Jammu divisions. A representative of Bajaj Allianz insurance also attended the meeting.

Be Part of Quality Journalism

Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast.

ACT NOW