The Chhattisgarh government has decided to launch a new integrated healthcare scheme to provide better and quality medical facilities to the people of the state, officials said on 15th November.

The scheme will be implemented in a trust-based model, they said. The ongoing central and state healthcare schemes - Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme, Chief Minister Bal Hriday Suraksha Yojana, Chief Minister Bal Shravan Yojana and National Child Health Program (Chirayu) - will be merged into this new scheme named as 'Dr Khubchand Baghel Health Assistance Scheme', the officials said.

A decision in this regard was taken during a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday at his official residence here, a government public relation official said. Under this scheme, families possessing 'priority' and 'antyoday' (categories under BPL-below poverty line) ration cards along with those being covered under Ayushman Bharat scheme will get health and medical facilities up to Rs 5 lakh per annum. Similarly, other ration card holder families will get treatment up to Rs 50,000 per year under this scheme, he said.

"The scheme will increase the beneficiary family count from 42 lakh to 56 lakh having health treatment coverage up to Rs 5 lakh in the state," he said. After the launch of this scheme, Chhattisgarh would be the only state in the country covering almost 90 per cent families with the health benefit coverage up to Rs 5 lakh per year, he added. "Ration card holder families will be able to avail cashless treatment at any government and registered private hospitals under the scheme," they said. The scheme will be run by a state nodal agency to be set up under the Directorate of Health Services through trust-based model.

The nodal agency will pay to the hospitals against the treatment instead of making payment through an insurance company, he said. Besides, the cabinet also gave its nod to extend the financial assistance limit for treatment given under the Sanjeevani Sahayata Kosh and rename the scheme as 'Mukhyamantri Vishesh Swasthya Sahayata Yojna' (CM special health assistance scheme), he said. Under this modified scheme, financial assistance up to Rs 20 lakh will be provided to the patients suffering from rare ailments.

Any people residing in Chhattisgarh can avail its benefit after approval from the chief minister, he said. The cabinet also approved allotment of land to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur in Atal Nagar Nava Raipur- the upcoming capital city of the state, free of cost for establishment of research institute and other facilities centre, the official said. It also gave its nod to slashing the rates of unsold residential and commercial properties of Chhattisgarh Housing Board by 15-20 per cent and set up a Gems and Jewellery Park in Raipur, he said.