APL families to benefit from Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme: Health Minister Khader

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 17, 2013: State Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader has said that the state government has decided to extend the Vajpayee Arogyashree healthcare scheme even to  APL families.

Speaking to reporters here, he said under the scheme, APL card holders will  get tertiary care treatment for various ailments including cardiovascular diseases, cancer treatment etc in selected specialty hospitals. The beneficiaries will have to bear 10 per cent of the treatment, the Minister said adding 90 per cent of the costs will be borne by the health department. Apart from the initial sanction of Rs 200 crore under the scheme, the government has decided to allot an additional Rs 80 crores, he added.

The minister also  informed that the government will be distributing Ayush Pushti biscuits to 3000 Anganavadi children in Bagalkot and Jamakhandi   taluks of Bagalkot district on a pilot basis for three months and added based on the success of the scheme, it will be implemented in other places.

 

He said the biscuits manufactured by Ayush Department will help improve the immune power of the children and will tackle malnutrition.

He said the government has released Rs 30 lakhs for the repair of the  Mani-Ullal stretch of road which is in bad state and added  the road  would be upgraded into a four-lane at a cost of Rs 7 crore within three months.

The Minister also informed that  he will be  attending the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and Pacific (ICAAP) to be held at Bangkok, Thailand from November 18 to 22.