Kerala govt mulls tweaks to revive Karunya Arogya scheme

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government intends to implement a provision that requires individuals under Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) to undergo certain medical treatments and surgeries at government hospitals in order to avail of the benefits.

The government is considering the change after receiving complaints regarding irregularities, malpractices, and shortcomings of the project. Furthermore, the scheme is also facing an existential crisis due to the government's failure to clear pending arrears with hospitals.

The proposal for the same was raised in a meeting of departmental secretaries chaired by the chief secretary. Earlier, a report by the CAG exposed instances of misconduct and fraudulent activities in order to avail benefits. At present, the government manages the programme independently as a healthcare assistance initiative, without the involvement of an insurance partner.

Although the scheme is very helpful to the poor, with 42 lakh families as members, the irregularities have brought the very existence of the scheme into question. Previously, the management of the private hospitals issued a warning that they would cease offering treatment under KASP due to outstanding arrears exceeding Rs 500 crore.