Hyderabad: Government urged to revoke new Aarogyasri policy for thalassaemia patients

CHARMINAR: Parents of thalassaemia-affected children on Wednesday urged the state government to revoke the new Aarogyasri policy under which the medical insurance claim amount for treatment of such patients was reduced to Rs 4,260.

Under the new Aarogyasri scheme guidelines issued in February 2018, the financial support for chelation therapy for thalassaemia patients was reduced to Rs 4,260. The scheme was started in July 2014 with a grant of Rs 15,000 for blood transfusion and other treatments for thalassaemia.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, the parents called for revoking the new guidelines as the amount reduces the scope of treatment due to financial constraints.

Aleem Baig, joint secretary of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society, said that a patient needs to undergo several medical check-ups and take expensive medicines for blood transfusion and undergo blood transfusion. Due to the new guidelines, they have been unable to buy medicines for the patients.

“In some cases, patients living in districts are required to travel for treatment. The new policy increases the financial burden on the patients, hence, it must be revoked and replaced with the previous policy which allowed for a relatively better compensation”, said Baig.

One of the parents, Mohammed Ameen said that a child requires nearly Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 monthly expenses for treatment, medical check-ups, cardio scans and MRIs and that the pump used for treatment costs around Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Azra Fatima, who is also a thalassemia patient, said that when the scheme was introduced, it had given hope to patients and parents of thalassaemia-affected patients. “The recent revision of the policy grants has made things difficult. A patient incurs a minimum expense of Rs 10,000 to 12,000 a month which is difficult to be met by anyone,” she said.

There are nearly 2,500 patients suffering from thalassaemia in Telangana, of which 50 per cent are from poor families. Most of the amount received through Aarogyasri scheme by these patients is spent on medicines, and very little is left to undergo blood transfusion and other necessary procedures.