Assembly committee summons health department officials

From OUR Correspondent

Shillong, Jan 8: The Meghalaya Assembly’s Committee on Subordite Legislation today summoned the officials of the state’s health department after receiving complaints of poor implementation of the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS).

“Legislators have to regularly intervene on behalf of the poor patients. On occasions they even have to persolly visit the hospitals to force the authorities to provide the scheme to the beneficiaries,” Chairman of the committee said.

The members of the Assembly’s Committee on Subordite Legislation also alleged that the empanelled hospitals in the state have not installed any help desk to assists MHIS card holders.

The members also said that there is poor enrolment of the health insurance scheme due to lack of publicity by the authorities implementing it.

The members also said that there is a lot of confusion in the implementing of the MHIS especially on the issue of Rs 2 lakh insurance coverage as projected in the scheme.

According to UDP legislator from Sohra, Titosstarwell Chyne only 48 percent of the targeted beneficiaries has been enrolled in the scheme.

According to the members only three lakh out of the targeted seven lakh has so far been included in the MHIS. The committee has also directed the authorities involved in implementing the scheme to re-conduct the enrolment and to even sensitise hospitals on the issue.  Under the MHIS Phase-II, a total population of 7.59 lakh is targeted to be covered.  Earlier in his reply to the committee, Health & Family Welfare Department secretary KW Marbaniang had informed that MHIS/RBSY helpdesks are available in all the empanelled hospitals.

“But we found that helpdesk are only in paper and the reply is totally false. Therefore, we have directed the immediate installation of help desks in all the hospitals empanelled under the scheme,” Shullai said.

The committee had also directed the health department to furnish the details of the beneficiaries and the type of diseases as Rs 16 crore out of Rs 19 crore was claimed as premium.