Lok Sabha Question No. 1839 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-27
Subject: Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: UDIT RAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1839 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 th JULY, 2018

## RASHTRIYA AROGYA NID HI

## 1839. DR. UDIT RAJ:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Rashtriya Arogaya Nidhi Scheme (RANS) is being implemented in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated/utilized during the last three years; and
- (c) whether the public is not aware about the benefits of RANS unlike Prime Minister's National Relief  Fund  and  if  so, the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the Government  to  increase  awareness among the people about RANS?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF H EALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) : Yes, the scheme Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)  Scheme is under implementation in the country.
- (b) : The details of the RAN scheme are given in Annexure .The budgetary allocation and expenditure,  including  expenditure  out  of  interest  accrued  and  refund  received  fro hospitals, under RAN scheme during the years 2015 - 16 to 2017 - 18 are as follows:

## (Amount in Rs Lakhs)

| Year     |   Amount allocated |   Amount utilized |
|----------|--------------------|-------------------|
| 2015- 16 |               2000 |           1827.87 |
| 2016- 17 |               2200 |           2557.23 |
| 2017- 18 |               3000 |           4350.51 |

- (c): The  various  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase  awareness  about  the  RAN Scheme, inter -alia, include letters to the State Governments for publicizing the Scheme in respective States, Press Note in the leading newspapers of the country giving inf ormation about the  Scheme,  uploading  all  details  regarding  the  Scheme,  viz  documents  required,  eligi criteria, procedure and contact details for queries on Ministry's website, publication of an Appeal in the newspapers disseminating information about the Scheme and circulation of Scheme details in pamphlet format to all State Health Directors/Central Institutions and Hospitals.

The Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) has been set up vide Resolution No.F.7 - 2/96 Fin - II dated 13 - 01- 1997 and register ed under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, as a Society .  The RAN was set up to provide financial assistance to patients, living poverty  line  and  who  are  suffering  from  major  life  threatening  diseases,  to  r medical treatment at any of the s uper speciality Hospitals/Institutes or other Government hospitals.  The financial assistance to such patients is released in the form of 'one - time grant',  which  is  released  to  the  Medical  Superintendent  of  the  Hospital  in  which  the treatment has been/is b eing received.

Under  RAN,  Revolving  Funds  have  been  set  up  in  13  Central  Government Hospitals/Institutions  located  all  over  India  for  providing  financial  assista treatment upto Rs.2 lakh.  In addition, financial assistance is provided for individ ual cases referred by Government hospitals/institutions, which do not have a Revolving Fund for  cases  referred  by  13  Government  hospitals/institutions  with  Revolving  Funds assistance exceeding Rs.2 lakh.