Arogya Arunachal to be achieved by preventive measures, healthy lifestyle: CM Khandu

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday said the main objective of the Chief Ministers Arogya Arunachal Yojana (CMAAY) in the long run should be to put in place robust preventive measures from the data collected while implementing the scheme.

Chairing the second Governing Council meeting of the Chief Minister Arogya Arunachal Society (CMAAS) here, Khandu said that the name of the scheme itself mentions Arogya Arunachal that means disease-free Arunachal that can be achieved only through preventive measures and a healthy lifestyle.

CMAAS is the nodal agency for implementing the CMAAY that envisages providing cashless treatment to citizens of the state and state government employees in empanelled hospitals.

Congratulating CMAAS chief executive officer Dr Nabam Peter and his team under the guidance of Health Principal Secretary and Secretary for ensuring the success of the scheme, Khandu said a target must be set and achieved to provide the facility to each eligible citizen of the state besides roping in as many hospitals as possible.

The chief minister suggested putting in place ways and means to ease the enrolment process of beneficiaries.

Maintaining that diseases that require processes like organ transplant are quite costly and many poor patients may not be able to afford it, Khandu suggested that such patients may be allowed to avail benefits under CMAAY as well as financial help from Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF) with recommendations from the nodal agency.

Giving a brief report on the scheme, Dr Peter said 1.01 lakh families have been enrolled under the CMAAY along with the central government scheme of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

An enrolled family is entitled to a sum of Rs 5 lakh per year for cashless treatment in empanelled hospitals.

To date, 81 hospitals have been empanelled of which 27 are out of Arunachal Pradesh, 15 being in neighbouring Assam.

As per records, the beneficiaries have mainly utilised the scheme for procedures such as lower segment cesarian section (LSCS), cataract, cholecystectomy, appendicectomy and chemotherapy.

Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun, near here, stands at the top in giving free and cashless treatment to the most number of beneficiaries under the scheme followed by Bakin Pertin Hospital at Pasighat in East Siang district, Rama Krishna Mission Hospital here, B Baruah Cancer Institute Guwahati and Khan Drowa Zangmo District Hospital at Tawang, officials said.