Increase in financial assistance under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi

Health is recognised as one of the factor of poverty's multi-dimensional aspect .Recognising that the India’s major chunk of population is still under BPL ,so to reduce the “out of pocket” expenditure in critical diseases,Govt under  Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)  has decided to enhance financial powers delegated to designated Central Government hospitals/institutes from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh for providing financial assistance in cases where emergency surgery is to be conducted. 

About RAN:

• Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi was set up under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 1997.
• The scheme provides for financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line who is suffering from major life threatening diseases(related to heart, liver, kidney and cancer cases, etc.),to receive medical treatment at any of the super specialty hospitals/institutes or other Govt. hospitals.
• The financial assistance to such patients is released in the form of "one time grant" to the Medical Superintendent of the hospital in which the treatment is being received.

Impact:

• For patients suffering from life threatening diseases, where time is a premium, this would facilitate commencement of treatment of poor patients found prima facie eligible for assistance under the Scheme by these hospitals/institutions.
• This would also enable to curtail the procedural delay for treatment, which would bring relief to thousands of patients annually.
• It will fulfil Govt.'s responsibility to improve public health enshrined under Directive principles of State policy(Article 47). 
• With this BPL people can utilise their hard earned money in their various developmental needs like food,clothing,education etc..

Other financial assistance:

• Apart from RAN,the Government also provides financial assistance through the Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF), to poor cancer patients.
• Assistance is also provided under Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG) to those whose family annual income is less than up to 1 lakh(I Govt. hospitals where free medical facilities are not available)