Why in news:

• The patients covered under Rajasthan Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Scheme will now be eligible for getting cottage and private rooms at government as well as private hospitals after undergoing major surgeries.

Key Points:

• The government has added this benefit after considering the demand for isolation facilities under the Chiranjeevi  scheme. Under the existing arrangement, even after undergoing major surgery, these patients are admitted to general wards of hospitals covered under the scheme. It increases the risk of infection. But from now on, they will be eligible to recuperate in isolation in the disinfected private rooms and cottage rooms.
• According to Medical and Health department officials, this facility will now be available at all government and private hospitals covered under the scheme. The rooms would be available at a discounted rate determined by the Rajasthan Medical Relief Society (RMRS).
• As per the procedure specified by the state government, the private hospitals would send their rate list to Rajasthan Medical Relief Society. The rates will then be examined by the Rajasthan State Health Insurance Agency. The agency would then fix the rates for rooms under the scheme.
• In order to safeguard the interests of the patients and to save them from unethical practices, under the rules, the private hospitals would be restricted from pressuring patients to get a cottage room.
• According to Rajasthan Medical and Health minister Parsadilal Meena, the government had been getting this demand for a while. In this regard, requisite talks were held with the insurance agency about the feasibility of the scheme. Now, after all the feasibility studies and implementation level analyses, the scheme has been finalized and the eligible beneficiaries stand to get improved healthcare benefits from the state.