Port Blair, Dec. 13: Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Member of Parliament on 9-12-2022 (Friday) raised a very important issue in the Parliament under rule 377 regarding the poor healthcare system in the Islands.

He emphasized that for any major health issue the Islanders are referred to referral hospitals at Chennai or Kolkata. Prior to the introduction of Ayushman Bharat scheme, the local Administration of Andaman & Nicobar Islands used to have ANISHI scheme.

By this scheme the Islanders used to get Rs. 5 Lakhs for the treatment and also used to get the money for to & fro travelling expenses. But after the introduction of Ayushman Bharat, the ANISHI scheme was stopped and the islanders are referred under Ayushman Bharat.

In this scheme the patients referred are not permitted with travelling expenses, which costs heavily on the poor Islanders. The MP thus requested the Government to re-introduce the ANISHI scheme for the Islanders or else in the prevailing scheme of Ayushman Bharat the travelling expenses of the patient to be included.