Centre to introduce uniform medical insurance scheme: FM

Madurai, Aug 26 (UNI) The Centre is contemplating to introduce a nation-wide uniform medical insurance scheme by roping in both the public and private healthcare sectors to make medical facilities available to all sections of the society, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.

Expressing the hope that the project would take shape and be successfully implemented across the country in the near future, Mr Chidambaram appealed to the private health care majors to focus on bringing their clients under the ambit of insurance-linked medical benefits till such a scheme was implemented.

Inaugurating the Vadamalayan Institute of Paramedical Sciences here today, the Finance Minister said though the Centre had introduced a medical insurance policy, a means for availing medical facility, with less premium, the reach has been poor for the scheme was implemented only in public health sector.

Government scheme depended on Government hospitals, while private-sponsored schemes banked on private hospitals, thus functioning in different orbits, he said. Emphasising the need for a comprehensive scheme, Mr Chidambaram said, ''possibilities of involving both the health care sectors through the national medical insurance scheme are being analysed.'' Even as Kerala, Asom and Karnataka Governments had introduced schemes in co-ordination with the private health sector and many other state governments had evinced interest, a uniform medical cover was needed as people aspire to avail health care facilities, next to education, he said.

Stating that the public health system played a vital role in wiping out endemic and pandemic diseases, Mr Chidambaram said it was not able to cope with the needs of increasing population, due to reasons such as financial crunch.

He attributed the success of allopathy to research, documentation and training activities and said besides doctors, paramedical staff contributed their mite in providing medical services to the people.

Hence, training for them was equally important, he added.

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