JAMMU: BJP Health and Medical Cell Convener Jammu & Kashmir Puneet Mahajan met Chief Executive Officer – State Health Agency - J&K Sanjiv M Gadkar IAS, at his office to address critical challenges affecting patients' access to healthcare services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The meeting focused on improving the scheme’s inclusivity and efficiency to benefit a larger section of the population.
During the meeting, Mahajan raised concerns such as: Challenges with Biometric Verification. He highlighted problems faced by critically ill and elderly patients specially whose thumb impressions often fail during hospital admission. He proposed implementing OTP-based verification as an alternative for enrollment and benefit access.
Mahajan advocated for including patients with substance abuse histories under the Ayushman Bharat Golden Card benefits, particularly those suffering from conditions like alcoholic liver disease. Mahajan emphasized the need for compassion and inclusivity in providing healthcare to such individuals. He pressed for better utilization of operation theaters, particularly in ophthalmology, noting that many surgeries are restricted to limited numbers , leaving the facilities underutilized.
These recommendations aim to make the Ayushman Bharat scheme more inclusive and efficient, ensuring that more patients can access timely and comprehensive healthcare services. The CEO appealed the convener to aware the Citizens aged 70 and above to come forward and register for the exclusive ₹5 lakh health insurance top-up available under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme and assured the convener of due consideration of the genuine issues projected during the interaction. The CEO praised Puneet Mahajan and his team to continue his endeavors for promoting public welfare on health fronts.
