Only 360 private hospitals join government scheme in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Only 360 of more than 26,000 private healthcare providers in Karnataka have empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) scheme. The result: Poor patients visiting non-empanelled hospitals have to pay through the nose for treatment.
The Centre-Karnataka initiative seeks to ensure every below-the-poverty-line family gets Rs 5 lakh annual coverage to avail best healthcare in the state.

The empanelment of private hospitals is fraught with geographical distortions, raising questions on accessibility to the scheme. While Bengaluru and Belagavi have most — at 32 each — private hospitals under the scheme, Yadgir and Kodagu have none. Incidentally, 37 private hospitals from Hyderabad, Kurnool, Kolhapur, Miraj, Sangli and Solapur from neighbouring states also have empanelled. This has been allowed to cater to patients from border areas of the state.
Low number of empanelment of private establishments means the best healthcare may not reach the deserving in critical times.
A team of doctors from Bengaluru that visited Holy Cross Missionary Hospital, near Kollegal — where victims of a food-poisoning incident at Kichguth Maramma temple, Sulvadi, were admitted — was shocked to learn the hospital was still awaiting empanelment. “We’ve saved many lives in emergencies. This is the only major private hospital in the region and draws poor people from the neighbourhood,” said Fr Mathew Perumpil, secretary, office of healthcare, Catholic Bishops Conference of India.