Health activists of Jharkhand have hit the road against the decision of the Hemant Soren government to charge for each unit of blood provided to beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat and other health insurance schemes undergoing treatment at private hospitals.
A large number of blood donors, as well as members of civil societies, held demonstrations outside of the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi seeking the intervention of the Governor to recall this order.
On November 20, the state health and family welfare department headed by minister Banna Gupta issued an order in this regard. As per the order, private hospitals taking blood for beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat and other health insurance schemes in Jharkhand will have to make a payment to get blood from the government-run blood banks. In fact, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) has already issued an order to charge money from patients who are admitted at RIMS.
The RIMS has fixed Rs 1,050 as a processing charge per unit of blood given to any patient undergoing treatment at private hospitals. Besides this, RIMS charges Rs 300 for frozen fresh plasma and platelet concentrate, and Rs 200 for cryoprecipitate.
The health department claimed the decision was taken to stop private hospitals from misusing the facility and resources of government blood banks. The department claimed that often private hospitals while treating patients under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, procure the blood free of cost from the government blood banks, but they charge Rs 2000 per unit from the insurance companies.
In order to get blood free of cost from government blood banks, private hospitals will have to submit an undertaking confirming that the patient is not registered under Ayushman Bharat or other health insurance schemes, and is below the poverty line, the order reads.
Atul Gera, the founder of Lifesavers, termed it an open loot in the name of checking private hospitals.
“Government blood banks never charged for blood. Now patients are being charged. Ayushman Bharat and private hospitals are just a cover-up. Who stops the health department from taking action against such Ayushman empanelled hospitals which charge for free blood also? This is an exercise to promote private blood banks. Even the blood processing charge of private blood banks has been increased,” Gera told OpIndia.
@HemantSorenJMM जी
— Atul Gera | अतुल गेरा (@atulgera007) November 25, 2021
एक बड़ा कल्याणकारी फैसला जिसमे झारखंड में सरकारी ब्लड बैंक में सभी को दान किया हुआ रक्त दान में मुफ्त मिल रहा था वो भी आज की स्वास्थ्य विभाग वापस लेना चाहती है जबकि @HLTH_JHARKHAND(NHM)का सहयोग और अब तो आयुष्मान भारत से भी संसाधनों का रास्ता है
कृपया रोके
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OpIndia spoke to some blood donors and activists who condemned the decision. Ranchi resident Vimal Krishnan who has donated his blood around forty times said that it was another low of Hemant Soren led JMM-Congress-RJD government.
“In the order copy, the health department has said that such poor who are not covered under Ayushman and other health schemes will get blood free of cost provided private hospitals certify that the said patient is poor. I wonder how can private hospital issue such a BPL certificate. Will the patient survive till the time attendants arrange necessary documents and the same is processed and approved by the hospital. Some people are not under the BPL category but they are poor. But we don’t expect any wisdom from the government,” Krishnan said.
Irfan Khan, another blood donor from Ramgarh district of Jharkhand criticised the government for the move. “Government has no right to do a business out of blood donated by donnors. “This is pathetic that the government is selling the blood which people donate to save the life of people,” said Khan.
Local journalist Sunny Sharad who is part of many charitable works said that the poor of Jharkhand will face consequences of this illogical decision. “A state which has the highest number of cases of anemia among women and children such decisions is condemnable. What if tomorrow donors demand money for donating blood? A wrong culture has been started,” he said.
