As many as 6,000 patients have benefitted under Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (ABAK) scheme at Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru, Wenlock Hospital Superintendent and District Surgeon Dr Rajeshwari Devi H R said.
“This is highest among the hospitals empanelled under the ABAK scheme,’’ she said during the phone-in programme, organised by Prajavani, on Tuesday.
She said the Arogya Karnataka scheme of the state was merged with the Ayushman Bharat scheme, launched by the Centre as a universal health scheme, an year ago.
The scheme provides a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care, and even for terminal illness. A claim of Rs 5 crore has been received by the hospital so far from the government. The amount was utilised for buying equipment for the hospital. In fact, it has helped the hospital to become self-sustainable, she said.
Dr Rajeshwari said 124 emergency procedures under the scheme can be done in private empanelled hospitals without referral from the government hospitals. Simple secondary procedures have to be conducted only in government hospitals under ABAK scheme.
Dermatologist Dr Naveen Kumar said by visiting Mangalore One and taluk hospitals, one can register for Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka scheme.
Shortage of staff
Dr Rajeshwari Devi said that though the hospital was not facing shortage of doctors, there was an acute shortage of nursing staff. The post of matron, nursing supervisors, senior nurses are lying vacant. There are 122 junior nurses in the hospital, she added.
‘’With the available nursing staff, we are managing 930-bed hospital,’’ she said.
Further, there is 90% shortage of office staff. There is only one administrative officer, two first division assistants and two second division assistants to manage the show at the hospital, she added. On the need for a state-run Cancer hospital, Dr Rajeshwari said, “A unit of Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology is needed in Mangaluru .”
Destitute patients
Wenlock Hospital has been treating destitute patients, who have made hospital their home. As railway station is nearby, several families bring patients and desert them in the hospital.
‘’On several occasions, we had taken the patients after recovery in the ambulance to their houses. Unfortunately, the family members have send the patients back to the hospital.