Anil Baijal clears AAP’s healthcare scheme

New Delhi: A day after he gave green signal to the doorstep delivery of services, lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Tuesday approved the Delhi government’s scheme of quality healthcare service, without any income criteria, for the people of the city.

The scheme was passed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Cabinet on December 12 and was subsequently sent to the L-G for approval. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to announce the development.

“Hon’ble @LtGovDelhi approves ‘Quality Health for all’ scheme without income criteria. Thank u so much sir,” he tweeted.

An official from the L-G’s office said the nod for the scheme was given on Tuesday. The approval was given post facto.

The ‘quality health for all’ scheme, applicable to permanent residents of Delhi, pertains to providing patients free-of-cost, specified, high-end diagnostic (radiological) tests and surgeries at private hospitals in case of delay in government facilities.

Mr Baijal had, on December 29, concurred with the amendments to the Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK) scheme. However, he had advised the government to retain some “income ceiling” so that the resources of the government were used to help the poor and the needy and that the poor were “not crowded out by the well-to-do.”

Health minister Satyendar Jain had said last week that there were needy people and those who might fall above the ceiling limit too were tax-payers. No one should be restricted from availing the service, he said.