Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 29 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday launched a cashless treatment facility under the Ayushman Asom Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana (AA-MMLSAY) at a function held in Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.

According to a release, the new initiative will benefit State Government employees, pensioners and their dependents, enabling them to access medical care without having to bear expenses upfront.

With this launch, beneficiaries will now be able to avail cashless medical services not only in select empanelled hospitals within Assam but also in leading corporate hospitals across the country.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also distributed health cards under the scheme and unveiled its digital newsletter.

The health card will serve as a gateway for both cashless treatment and reimbursement benefits under the scheme.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Sarma said that MMLSAY was launched on October 2, 2023, to end the cumbersome and time-consuming reimbursement process for medical expenses.

'Previously, employees and pensioners had to pay from their own and wait years for reimbursements due to bureaucratic delays, sometimes leading to distress and corruption. To ensure that no one faces such hardships again, the Government decided to introduce this cashless facility. Now, employees and pensioners can receive treatment first, without worrying about funds,' the Chief Minister said.

He further mentioned that to ensure that no employee faced inconvenience during the transition, the Government decided to continue the old reimbursement system in parallel.

Informing that 2,23,826 employees and 6,172 pensioners have registered under the scheme so far, the Chief Minister said that registration under this scheme can be done anytime.

He added that reimbursements are made as per CGHS rates and the Assam Government adopts the revised CGHS rates as soon as they are updated by the Central Government, ensuring parity in health benefits between Central and State Government employees.

The Chief Minister said that in the first phase, the cashless service will be available at all Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals in Assam, all hospitals under the Assam Cancer Care Foundation, Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute, CN Centre, GMCH Annex; Medanta - The Medicity, Gurgaon; GNRC Group of Hospitals, Downtown Hospital, Guwahati; Max Healthcare Hospital and Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya Hospital, Guwahati.

He also informed that discussions are underway with AIIMS Guwahati, Fortis Group of Hospitals, Narayana Group of Hospitals, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi and several other leading corporate hospitals for inclusion under the cashless module. However, the employees and pensioners can still avail treatment and apply for reimbursement at hospitals not covered under the cashless system, Dr. Sarma added.

The Chief Minister pointed out that unlike Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana, which depends on government funding, the Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana is self-sustaining, as it is funded through contributions made by employees themselves.

He said that since the launch of the scheme, a total of Rs. 65 crore has been reimbursed to employees and pensioners. Earlier, the annual expenditure on medical reimbursement stood at around Rs. 17 to 18 crore. The latest figures, he added, indicate that the expenditure has nearly doubled, reflecting the expanded coverage and improved efficiency of the system.

The Chief Minister further informed that besides State Government employees and pensioners, those working under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, National Health Mission, the three State power companies and other staff of the State Government have also been brought under the scheme.

He estimated that the total number of beneficiaries could reach 7 to 8 lakh in due course and assured that the Government would continue to strengthen and upgrade the scheme to better serve employees in times of need.

CM Sarma also said that the Assam Government will soon constitute its own Pay Commission, so that State Government employees can start availing the benefits from the same date as those announced by the Central Government.

Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, Principal of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Achyut Kumar Baishya, Chairman and Managing Director of GNRC, Nomal Chandra Bora, President of Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya, Dr. Harsha Bhattacharya, several senior government officials, representatives of various hospitals and state government employees were present in the programme. (ANI)