In Alappuzha, the central government’s Ayushman Bharat health scheme for senior citizens has become a source of controversy in Kerala as hospitals have reportedly started turning away elderly patients who are eligible for free treatment. This program, which promises free medical services to citizens over the age of 70, requires individuals to register and obtain an ID card to confirm their eligibility. Despite this, many seniors have been denied free services at hospitals, with facilities citing a lack of notification from the government regarding updated lists of participating hospitals. This gap has left elderly patients in a difficult position, being asked to pay for treatments despite their eligibility under the scheme.

According to the central government, the Ayushman Bharat scheme has designated 588 hospitals across Kerala, including both private and government facilities, to provide free healthcare to elderly beneficiaries. However, confusion has arisen due to some hospitals asserting that they have not received official notification about the revised list of participating facilities. As a result, even patients who have registered under the scheme and received their Ayushman Bharat cards are being told they must cover medical expenses out of pocket, counter to the scheme’s objectives.

The hospitals involved in this issue are also connected to Kerala’s Karunya Arogya Suraksha Scheme, which was recently expanded to include seniors over 70 through Ayushman Bharat. However, there appears to be a lack of clear communication and coordination between the central government, state authorities, and individual hospitals. This gap has created confusion and has left many hospitals without clear guidelines on the scheme’s implementation, leaving senior citizens caught in the middle. These elderly patients are often asked to pay upfront for treatments because hospital staff indicate they haven’t received the necessary notifications to confirm they should provide services for free.

In Kerala, the State Health Agency (SHA) is responsible for overseeing the scheme’s implementation within the state. According to SHA officials, they cannot proceed with delivering benefits to seniors until they receive specific instructions from the central government regarding how to move forward. This delay has complicated the roll-out of the Ayushman Bharat scheme for seniors in Kerala, preventing numerous eligible patients from accessing the promised free healthcare.

The issue is further compounded by financial constraints faced by many hospitals in Kerala. These hospitals are already dealing with substantial unpaid bills under the Karunya Suraksha Yojana, a situation that puts further pressure on them to collect payment directly from patients, even those covered by Ayushman Bharat. While some government hospitals continue to provide free services, even in the absence of clear directives, this practice has added financial strain to already overstretched facilities, which are limited in the amount of charity care they can offer without reimbursement.

A specific example of the confusion surrounding this situation can be seen at Alappuzha General Hospital. The hospital is listed as a participating facility on the National Health Agency (NHA) portal, meaning it should be providing free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. However, when elderly patients attempt to obtain information from the hospital’s designated nodal officer, they are told that the officer has retired. Despite this personnel change, the contact details of the retired officer remain listed on the NHA website. This highlights issues with outdated and potentially misleading information being provided to the public, as the hospital is unable to effectively respond to patient inquiries.

The delays, coupled with outdated contact information, have deepened the confusion and frustration among senior citizens. These elderly patients are not only denied the free treatment that was promised but are also left struggling to navigate a system with unclear and inconsistent communication. This situation has raised questions about the efficiency of Ayushman Bharat’s implementation and about how well-equipped both the central and state governments are in coordinating such a large-scale initiative.

While the Ayushman Bharat scheme was initially introduced to address healthcare needs for India’s senior citizens, its effectiveness is limited if eligible beneficiaries face barriers to access, such as hospitals being unaware of their obligations or overwhelmed by financial constraints. The promise of free healthcare for elderly citizens in Kerala remains unmet as long as the implementation issues persist, creating a challenging situation for vulnerable elderly populations who urgently need medical care.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Yash Kamble/MSM)