Yeshasvini scheme extended to cancer patients

Bangalore, May 31 (UNI) Karnataka will extend its Yeshasvini health insurance cover for farmers, to those who suffer from cancer from this year, Cooperatives Minister G T Deve Gowda said today.

He told newspersons here that the department had decided to prepare a package for cancer patients with facilities for surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. ''By this, poor people will be able to get treatment at the early stage of the disease,'' he said.

The success of the scheme depends on the number of beneficiaries enrolled, Mr Gowda said, adding that to encourage a large number of rural cooperators to participate in the scheme, a 15 per cent concession had been provided.

He said nearly 1.83 million beneficiaries had been enrolled and Rs 22.06 crore had been collected for 2007-08, an all time record.

According to International Labour Organisation (ILO), Yeshasvini was the largest micro insurance scheme in the world.

UNI