Dr Ambedkar scheme for medical aid

A Spokesman of the State Government disclosed here today that Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India has started Dr. Ambedkar Medical Aid scheme to provide medical treatment to scheduled caste people whose annual family income is less than 50,000 per annum. He said that the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, New Delhi would bear 75 percent of the total expenses of the medical treatment with maximum ceiling limit of Rs. 1,00,000 in each case.

He said that under the scheme, medical treatment would be provided to patients suffering from serious ailments related to Kidney, Heart, Liver, Cancer and Brain or any other life threatening diseases including Knee surgery and spinal surgery. He said that the scheme would be implemented through 10 prominent hospitals of the country besides all CGHS approved hospitals, all State Government Medical Colleges attached hospitals, all State Government hospitals and those recognized by the State Government, all hospitals fully funded by either Central or State Governments, all Government hospitals in district headquarters/major towns where surgery or treatment facilities for the diseases covered under the scheme were available. He further said that in exceptional cases any hospital outside the approved list can be approached for treatment where the Chairperson is convinced of genuineness and justification of the need.

The Spokesman said that the applicants can apply for medical aid through the prescribed form duly certified by Medical Superintendent of concerned Hospital alongwith caste, income certificate, ration card and estimated cost of the treatment. He said that the application shall be forwarded by a local sitting Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha) or District Magistrate and Collector/ Deputy Commissioner of concerned District/ Secretaries incharge of Health and Social Welfare Departments of State/UT. The forms should reach the Director, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, 15 Janpath, New Delhi at least 15 days before surgery which would be processed in Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, he added.