AGARTALA, June 4 (TIWN): The state cabinet on Wednesday gave nod to a new healthcare assistance scheme for people from the poor section. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today announced the Tripura Health Assistance Scheme for the Poor at the civil secretariat and said the scheme was designed as a unique scheme to assist high-end healthcare requirements of poor families. Benefits of the scheme would be extended to a maximum of three thousand patients every year, Sarkar said.

Speaking to reporters at the civil secretariat here today, Sarkar said that poor families with a maximum annual income of Rs. 1.5 lakh would be considered as beneficiaries of the new scheme. Scopes of certain healthcare facilities couldn’t be created in the state to the proper extent due to several constraints, he said.

“There are several health complexities in which people from the poor section are helpless. We used to help people from such section from the Chief Minister’s relief fund where they were referred from public hospitals to elsewhere by the standing medical board. But we felt that the help was insufficient and tried to find out possibilities in extending the help”, Sarkar said.

He added that the new scheme would be applicable for people from families having a maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakh annual income. Patients of cancer, cardio-vascular diseases, neuro surgery, renal surgery, neo-natal diseases, polychromatic and other eye ailments and few other diseases would have benefits of the new scheme.

Maximum financial assistance under the new scheme for patients of the said ailments could be extended to Rs. 1 lakh 25 thousand. Rs. 10,000 out of the amount would be granted for travel expenses in case of emergency treatment requirements, Sarkar said.

The CM further stated that the cabinet meeting today decided to introduce mustard oil and pulses in the list of essential commodities were resolved to be distributed henceforth at subsidized price at the fair price shops under PDS (Public Distributing System). “The Department for Food and Public Distribution would henceforth distribute 1 liter mustard oil and 1 Kg pulses at all ration card holders including BPL and APL consumers at subsidized rates”, he said.

The decision is estimated to have an additional annual financial involvement of Rs. 40 crore 53 lakh and Rs. 3 crore 37 lakh per month.

The Department would be soon floating a tender for bulk purchase of both commodities soon. The government would be able to give mustard oil at Rs. 15 less from the concurrent market price and Rs. 10 less in the case of pulses. Sarkar said that both commodities would be distributed in sealed packets of 1 liter/Kg or 500 ml/gm to avoid chances of adulteration and corruption.