J&K Admin Expands Benefits of Golden Card.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration expanded the benefits of Golden Cards to 90 more medical procedures which will now include pacemaker implantation and endovascular treatment.

According to a government handout, the approval to the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, as the scheme is officially called, was made by a meeting of the State Health Agency chaired by by its Chief Executive Officer, Yasin Mohammad Choudhary.

“The decision of extending these unspecified cases was taken after SHA received these cases from empaneled Healthcare Providers related to various specialties. As per the guidelines of unspecified cases issued by NHA, Medical Committee has discretion to take the decision on these cases,” officials said.

They added: “To bring more efficiency in the operation of scheme for greater good of patients of J&K, SHA would launch new Health Benefit Packages 2.2 with revised rate of 409 packages.”

Besides administration officials, experts and other stakeholders related to the scheme were also present in the meeting. Choudhary stressed on suggestions from all stake holders for incorporation of newer therapies and medicines for treatment of cancer patients which were not incorporated earlier.

The committee, as per officials, also suggested allowing the clubbing of surgical medical packages in the Transaction Management System (TMS). Choudhary asked members to submit detailed report for clubbing medical and surgical packages for onward submission to the NHA.

Choudhary also sought suggestions from members regarding the inclusion of high-end antibiotics and lifesaving drugs like immunoglobulins and albumin.

“This is a not a normal scheme,” Choudhary said. “All of us have to get our act together and ensure that people are benefitted in fair and transparent way.”