Implementation of welfare schemes matters more than the announcement of welfare measures announced by any popular government in any welfare state in any part of the world and same holds good for the Governments in states and union territories of the country. Popular measures announced in the previous budgets in last four years deserve as much attention and intervention of the State and UT Governments as deserve the popular measures announced in this year’s budget. Though Ayushman Bharat Scheme gives people the right to accessibility to free of cost treatment for several critical ailments but with several private hospitals refusing to accept golden cards it’s implementation in Kashmir Valley has created chaos and confusion among the people. Since Ayushman Bharat Scheme under which the golden cards are issued for treatment of critical ailments is a flagship health insurance scheme to cater to the health needs of the poor and the vulnerable sections of the society, the authorities of health and medical education department should have sought explanations from the private hospitals refusing to accept golden cards in Kashmir Valley. Paying no heed to public grievances over the non-cooperation of private hospitals is unfortunately proving detrimental for the implementation of this flagship scheme of the Prime Minister in Kashmir Valley. People availing free of cost surgeries at some hospitals and refused the right to avail such facilities at several other hospitals without any rhyme and reasons shows that some issues have cropped up in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Kashmir Valley. Though private hospitals refusing to accept golden cards after accepting them initially are by all standards of understandabilities spoiling the good work done by the Government to effectively implement the Ayushmen Bharat Scheme across Jammu & Kashmir but this is a mere allegation till the issue is fully investigated by the health and medical education department.
“Since the golden cards were being initially accepted by the private hospitals which are refusing to accept them now, it is for the Health & Medical Education Department not only to look into the grievances of people against the hospitals refusing to accept golden cards but also to look into the reasons cited by the Private hospital for refusing to accept the golden cards”.
This flagship health insurance scheme hitting roadblocks in Kashmir Valley amid effective implementation in other parts of the country has created chaos and confusion among the people of Kashmir about the implementation of this scheme in Jammu & Kashmir. Immediate review of this flagship health insurance scheme at the highest level by Health and Medical Education Department would most probably lead to resolution of issues prompting some of the private hospital not to accept the golden cards. Since the golden cards were being initially accepted by the private hospitals which are refusing to accept them now, it is for the Health & Medical Education Department not only to look into the grievances of people against the hospitals refusing to accept golden cards but also to look into the reasons cited by the Private hospital for refusing to accept the golden cards.
