Kuzhovesa Soho
Phek | July 12
Under the centrally-sponsored health insurance scheme of ‘Rashtriya Swathya Bima Yaojona’ (RSBY), four blocks under the Chakhesang inhabited areas including Phek, Pfütsero, Sekrezu and Kikruma have been reported as being registered with 10,139 households against the said scheme along with 50,596 beneficiaries entitled to enjoy the same under the provided provisions.
RSBY is a Health Insurance Scheme specially meant for the unrecognised sector workers within the Indian Union. Initiated by the Ministry of labour, government of India, the Labour department, Nagaland, introduced the same in the state about a year ago, with an objective of recognising the diversity with regard to public health infrastructure, socioeconomic conditions and the administrative network in the state, and in the meantime, aiming to facilitate launching of health insurance in all the districts of the state for BPL workers.
The very scheme, which is also known as Cashless Insurance Scheme, guarantees that every registered household (a family unit of 5) would be issued a ‘Smart Card’ for the purpose of identification. Further, each card would carry a total sum of Rs.30, 000 per family per annum, on a family floater basis.
As per the provisions of the scheme, the beneficiaries shall be eligible for the coverage of financial costs of such in-patient health care services as negotiated by the respective state government with the insurer, as well as the agreed day-care procedures not requiring hospitalisation.
It further states that all pre-existing diseases to be covered where cashless attendance would be covered for all the ailments. The provision for the issuing of Smart Card is to systematise the identification/verification of a beneficiary and point of service processing of client transactions.
According to the Labour department, government of Nagaland, the department was working out a district-wise collection of genuine data of the beneficiaries. As per the latest report from the department, Kohima and Peren have already been covered and the beneficiaries were availing free treatment from the authorised hospitals in Kohima and Dimapur. It was further reported that Mokokchung and Phek is on its halfway mark and completion of data collection for both the districts was expected within a short time.
The Chakhesang Students’ Union (CSU), which acts as a facilitator team in collecting the data, had reportedly covered the Chakhesang-inhabited villages recently. According to the CSU sources, 10,139 households with approximate BPL population of 70,900 were registered against the scheme out of 10,440 allotted households by the department.
The allocation of the households was based on the data obtained from the respective districts administrative record allotting 40% to every village households. The CSU office, when contacted, revealed that the households irrespective of beneficiaries of the 4 blocks as per the department record was 25852, Kikruma Village under Kikruma Block was registered as the highest beneficiaries with an allocation of 530 households, while Surhoba Village under Phek Block was registered as the lowest beneficiaries from among the Chakhesang inhabited villages with an allocation of 10 households.
Following the registering of 10,139 households, now an amount of 30,41,70,000 would be enjoyed by the people of the Chakhesang under the scheme’s provisions. Interestingly, the Union expressed shock to observe that as per the DC office record, Phek town and Pfutsero town had equal households with 1875 households each.
As per department sources, after the Pochury inhabited villages submitted their data report, final verification of the whole Phek district would be carried out by the department. After the 1st phase data collection, photography would follow, and then issuing of the Smart Card to all the beneficiaries is expected in the month of September.
