Mizoram: Govt incurs over Rs 66 cr bills under healthcare scheme

Aizawl: The Mizoram government is yet to release medical bills or health insurance amounting to over Rs. 66.2 crore under the Mizoram State Health Care scheme, health minister Dr R. Lalthangliana informed the state legislature on Tuesday.

He said that as many as 23,421 beneficiaries are yet to be paid their medical expenses under the healthcare scheme.

During the policy period from first October 2021 to 31st March 2022, a total of 12,784 beneficiaries submitted medical bills amounting to over Rs 33.6 crore, he said.

Of the 12,784 beneficiaries, the medical bills for 785 people amounting to more than Rs 2 crore have been already released, he said. 

The minister said that 11,422 beneficiaries have submitted their bills amounting to Rs 34.5 crore during the policy year April 2022 to March 2023.

He said the government has started releasing health assistance or medical bills that were submitted during the policy year from October 2021 to March 2022 and also those submitted till November 2022.

The Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by Chief Minister Zoramthanga has been severely attacked by the opposition allegedly due to its failure to implement the healthcare scheme. 

In the 2023-24 annual budget, Zoramthanga, who also holds the finance portfolio, has allocated Rs 60 crore for the implementation of the health care scheme. 

Zoramthanga said that the state government has sought a loan amounting to Rs 1,000 crore from the Asian Development Bank for the implementation of the state healthcare scheme. 

“The loan is under process,” he said. 

He also said that his government had allocated Rs 50 crore in the 2019-20 fiscal, but it could not properly implement the state healthcare scheme due to financial constraints caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

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