Now health dept to implement insurance scheme for poor

Now,the Health Department is planning to involve Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) at the grassroot level for better coverage of the scheme. The department is also mooting cash benefits for health workers in the scheme.

“We have 1.36 lakh ASHAs and 20,000 ANMs in the state. For surveys pertaining to the scheme as well as for mop-up rounds for making these insurance cards in the villages,we are planning to involve ASHAs and ANMs of the state,” said Sanjay Agarwal,Principal Secretary,Health and Family Welfare.

Senior Health officials said that the department is also planning to give an incentive of Rs 2 to the ANM and Rs 3 to the ASHA worker for making each card. “The facility for an incentive was already there for field workers in RSBY. We are planning to use the same facility for the ASHAs and ANMs,” said a senior medical officer. “The final permission for the incentive plan is still awaited from the government.”

As the rollout of smart cards for the insurance agencies were low this year,the department had requested the central government to extend the deadline of making the smart cards by a month.

“The permission for extension of the deadline till August 31 has come from the central government,” said Agarwal. In around 42 districts of the state,the card-making process is still going on and the number of cards rolled out this year is quite low.

Till now,the implementation of RSBY at the district level was overlooked by a district society headed by the District Magistrate and the District Development Officer was its member secretary.

“Now the post of member secretary will be taken over by the Chief Medical Officer and we are calling a meeting of all the CMOs of the state on August 6 in order to tell them about their new role,” said Agarwal.

Earlier this month,the running of the scheme was handed over to the Health Department. Himanshu Kumar,Director Administration,Health Directorate,has been made the Chief Executive Officer of the programme while Anurag Yadav,Additional Commissioner Rural Development,who was earlier the nodal officer of the programme,will hold the post of Additional CEO of the programme for the first three months.

Changes in Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

* Department of Health to look after scheme in UP instead of Department of Rural Development

* Health Department plans to involve ANMs and ASHAs at the grassroot level for better coverage of the scheme

* The department is also mooting cash benefits for health workers

* Implementation of RSBY at district level to be overseen by Chief Medical Officer

* A meeting of all the CMOs of the state has been called on August 6 in order to tell them about their new role

* Himanshu Kumar,Director Administration,Health Directorate,has been made the Chief Executive Officer of the programme.

* Anurag Yadav,Additional Commissioner Rural Development,who was earlier the nodal officer of the programme,will hold the post of Additional CEO of the programme for the first three months.