Lok Sabha Question No. 274 (STARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Financial Assistance to Poor Patients
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ajay Nishad

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.274 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  AUGUST, 2021 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO POOR PATIENTS

## †*274. SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

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

- (a) the details of norms fixed and the process adopted to provide financial assistance to poor patients under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, Cancer Patient Fund and other discretionary funds;
- (b) whether the Government has received complaints regarding delay in processing of applications seeking financial assistance under the said funds and death of patients due to the said delay;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the  corrective  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  to  ensure  timely  action  on  the applications?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 274* FOR 6 TH  AUGUST, 2021

(a) to (d).  The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides financial assistance for treatment of poor patients suffering from identified life threatening diseases and taking treatment in Government hospitals, under the  Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and Health Minister's Discretionary Grant.

Rashtriya  Arogya  Nidhi  (RAN):  Under  the  Umbrella  Scheme  of  Rashtriya ArogyaNidhi, one-time financial assistance of upto Rs. 15 lakh is provided to patients belonging  to  poor  families  living  below  threshold  poverty  lines  and  suffering  from major  identified  life  threatening  diseases  for  medical  treatment  at  Government hospitals.

The scheme has three components, namely (i) Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) to provide financial assistance to patients suffering from life threatening diseases other than  Cancer,  (ii)  Health  Minister's  Cancer  Patients  Fund  (HMCPF)  -  to  provide financial  assistance to patients  suffering  from  Cancer;  and  (iii)  Scheme  for  financial assistance for patients suffering from specified rare diseases. The scheme for financial assistance for patients suffering from specified rare diseases is implemented as per the relevant provisions of National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021.

Guidelines regarding implementation of Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi is available at https://main.mohfw.gov.in/Major-Programmes/poor-patientsfinancial-assistance/rashtriya-arogya-nidhi.

Health  Minister's  Discretionary  Grant  (HMDG):  Under  Health  Minister's Discretionary Grant (HMDG), financial assistance up to a maximum of Rs. 1.25 lakhs is  provided  to  the  poor  indigent  patients  to  defray  a  part  of  the  expenditure  on hospitalization/treatment in Government Hospitals for life threatening diseases covered under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) in cases where free medical facilities are  not  available.  Only  those  having  annual  family  income  up  to  Rs.1.25  lakhs  and below are eligible for financial assistance under the scheme.

No complaints regarding delay in processing of applications seeking financial assistance  under  the  RAN  and  HMDG  Scheme  have  been  received  in  the  last  two years.

However,  in  order  to  streamline  the  functioning  of  RAN  and  HMDG  and  to expedite  the  approvals,  Government  has  launched  these  schemes  on  the  National Health Authority IT platform. It enables release of financial assistance expeditiously to the eligible applicants who will be identified online through the government's existing databases.

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