SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 31: The Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA), a frontal organization of the state government doctors, has welcomed the nullification of three years registration mandatory for a new private eye hospital to conduct cataract operations under Ayushman Bharat Mukhya Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-MMJAY).
Jharkhand State Arogya Society (JSAS) Additional Director Dr Bhunesh Pratap Singh on June 14 last imposed some restrictions on private hospitals over conducting cataract operations under AB-MMJAY.
As per restrictions, new eye hospitals were required to have at least three years of registration under the Clinical Establishment Act 2013 for conducting operations under AB- MMJAY. Moreover, the patient must be a referral case of a government hospital to get operated at a registered private hospital under the scheme.
The Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA) protested the order and requested the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Health Arun Kumar Singh to intervene in it as patients would suffer.
The ACS Health set up a four-member committee under Additional Executive Director JSAS (as president), Director In-Chief of health services of the state, Civil Surgeon Ranchi and Dr Vatsal Lal, ophthalmologist and consultant of National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment.
The committee suggested removing the conditions of three years of registration mandatory for private hospitals with the Clinical Establishment Act 2013 to conduct eye operations under AB-MMJAY where patients must be referred by a government hospital.
JHSA secretary Dr Thakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh highly appreciated the gesture of Health Minister Banna Gupta and ACS Health Arun Kumar Singh for taking quick action on the request of the JHSA and making amendments to the clauses of AB- MMJAY in the interest of poor and needy patients.
“The amendment order shows the positive attitude of the Health Minister as well as the ACS Health. The JHSA hopes they would continue taking such positive steps in the interest of health services in future too,” said Dr Singh.
