Summary:
BENGALURU: Only 360 of more than 26,000 private healthcare providers in Karnataka have empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) scheme. Incidentally, 37 private hospitals from Hyderabad, Kurnool, Kolhapur, Miraj, Sangli and Solapur from neighbouring states also have empanelled. While Bengaluru and Belagavi have most — at 32 each — private hospitals under the scheme, Yadgir and Kodagu have none. This is the only major private hospital in the region and draws poor people from the neighbourhood,” said Fr Mathew Perumpil, secretary, office of healthcare, Catholic Bishops Conference of India. The result: Poor patients visiting non-empanelled hospitals have to pay through the nose for treatment.The Centre-Karnataka initiative seeks to ensure every below-the-poverty-line family gets Rs 5 lakh annual coverage to avail best healthcare in the state.The empanelment of private hospitals is fraught with geographical distortions, raising questions on accessibility to the scheme..