Port Blair, July 16: The Member of Parliament, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma has taken up the matter regarding resumption of Health Insurance Scheme of ANISHI (Andaman & Nicobar Islands Scheme for Health Insurance) for the treatment of poor Islanders till such time, proper medical treatment facilities for all the diseases are created in A&N Islands.
In a letter to the Home Minister of India, Shri Amit Shaha, Kuldeep informed that a scheme namely “Andaman & Nicobar Islands Scheme for Health Insurance (ANISHI) was introduced in these Islands since 2015 for treatment of patients suffering from serious disease at mainland as referred by the GB Pant Hospital. This scheme was stopped on 31st March, 2020 upon launching of Ayushman Bharat Scheme. However, the ANISHI scheme has been extended upto 30th June, 2020.
The MP expressed that in A&N Islands, majority of the people hail from poor background but their names does not exist in the BPL category list (now PHH). Due to non-availability of their names in the beneficiaries list, which is prepared based on Socio Economic Cast Census Survey 2011, these poor families are not enlisted in the Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme. In such circumstances, these poor persons are unable to get the health care facilities under Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
The MP has thus requested the Home Minister that until proper medical treatment facilities for all the serious diseases are created in the Hospitals in A&N Islands, the ANISHI scheme may be continued on special consideration for getting treatment at empanelled hospitals at Chennai and Kolkatta.