Kolkata: Private hospitals across Kolkata were left enthused by the chief minister’s announcement on Friday that health insurance will be provided to those who do not qualify for Ayushman Bharat under the ‘Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana’. Even as they waited for final instructions on the rollout of Ayushman, the new scheme, many pointed out, could actually benefit a larger section of patients who would be left out of Ayushman.The CM scheme will provide an equivalent coverage of Rs 5 lakh. While chief minister Suvendu Adhikari has not specified any eligibility criteria, he hinted that it will be a universal one on the lines of Swasthya Sathi that is set to be merged with Ayushman Bharat.This initiative is meant to provide quality healthcare coverage to all citizens of Bengal, said Prashant Sharma, MD of Charnock Hospital and president of the healthcare committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce. “This scheme would act as key platform for achieving this target. Those not covered under Ayushman Bharat will get access to quality healthcare via the MSBY scheme,” Sharma added.“Ayushman is a central scheme meant for the underprivileged sections, which leaves out a large section in cities like Kolkata. They also require a health scheme, so this will help to plug a huge gap. We welcome the scheme and are waiting for more clarity on this. It will be excellent if the existing Swasthya Sathi card holders are taken under the Mukhyamatri Bima Yojana, while new entrants get registered under Ayushman. This will make healthcare accessible and affordable to a large section of our population,” said Rupak Barua, president of the Association of Hospitals of Eastern India and CEO of Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital.More than 2.4 crore people were covered under Swasthya Sathi.A hospital head said he has already asked the Ayushman Bharat team to identify a separate unit for the CM Bima Yojana. “It seems to have been planned as a substitute for Swasthya Sathi, which would mean a very big scheme with a lot of backend work,” he said.“Wider insurance coverage also encourages people to seek timely treatment, leading to better health outcomes. We hope the new scheme is implemented with clear operational guidelines, adequate package rates and seamless claim settlement mechanisms so that hospitals can continue to deliver quality care without administrative hurdles,” said Sajal Dutta, chairman & MD of Desun Hospital.The move promises strengthening of the state’s healthcare infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to quality medical services for all citizens of West Bengal, said Supriyo Chakrabarty, group adviser of BP Poddar Hospital. “These progressive and compassionate initiatives represent a significant step towards developing a more robust, inclusive and future-ready healthcare ecosystem in the state.”
