Lok Sabha Question No. 842 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-29
Subject: More Medical Fund for Critical  Patient
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Kalyan Vaijinathrao Kale

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 842 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2024

## MOREMEDICALFUND FOR CRITICALPATIENT

## 842. DR. KALYAN VAIJINATHRAO KALE :

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that a large number of patients are suffering due to insufficient funds sanctioned by the Government, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has any plan to provide more fund for critical patient, if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether the Government has taken any steps to sanction additional fund for critical patients and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV )

(a) to (c) The Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) is a Central Sector Scheme which provides one-time financial assistance to poor patients living below State/UT wise threshold poverty line and suffering from life threatening diseases relating to heart, kidney, liver, cancer, etc. for treatment at any of Super Specialty Government hospitals/institutes. The Umbrella Scheme of RAN has three components as under:

- i. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) -Financial assistance for treatment of lifethreatening diseases relating to heart, kidney, liver, etc. at Government hospitals/institutes having Super Specialty facilities; ( Maximum financial assistance is Rs. 15 lakhs )

ii. Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF) Financial assistance for treatment of cancer at Regional Cancer Centres (RCCs)/ Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) and State Cancer Institutes (SCIs); ( Maximum financial assistance is Rs. 15 lakhs )

iii. Financial assistance for poor patients suffering from rare diseases - for specified rare diseases for treatment at Government hospitals/institutes having Super Specialty facilities; ( Maximum financial assistance is Rs. 20 lakhs )

More information on the Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi can be accessed at the link: https://mohfw.gov.in/?q=Major-Programmes/poor-patients-financial-support

Apart from this, there is a National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD), 2021 under which the Government provides financial assistance of upto Rs. 50 lakhs to the patients suffering from any category of the Rare Diseases listed in the policy for treatment in any of the Centres of Excellence (CoE) mentioned in NPRD-2021.

Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year to poor and vulnerable entitled families for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India. Also, all senior citizens aged 70 or above, regardless of economic status, are eligible for free medical treatment up to ₹5 lakh under this scheme. More information on AB-PMJAY can be accessed at the link: https://pmjay.gov.in/.

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