4 Private hospitals empanelled for reimbursement
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 31 2014: Four private hospitals located at Imphal have been empanelled for medical reimbursement.

As such, Government employees and their dependents who undergo treatment at these hospitals would be entitled to medical reimbursement.

Medical reimbursements were given to Government employees who underwent treatment at selected private hospitals located outside the State.

When the Health Directorate empanelled a number of private hospitals as the State Government's referral hospital, none of the private hospi- tals located in the State were included in the list.

However, the list of empanelled private hospitals was reviewed recently and in the process four private hospitals located at Imphal were enlisted for the first time, in- formed an official source.

A view of Raj Medicity

The private hospitals empanelled as referral hospitals of the State Government are Raj Medicity, Subha Assisted Reproductive Centre, Sky Hospital Research Centre and Shija Hospital & Research Centre.

So far, 18 private hospitals have been empanelled as referral hospitals of the State Government.

Out of them 14 are located outside the State.

Medical reimbursement rate applicable at these hospitals would be in line with the rate fixed by the Government of India in accordance to its health schemes.

However, the Central Go-vernment's health scheme rate would not be applicable to Shija Hospitals and Research Centre.

The Government took up this new initiative in view of the huge expenditures incurred by people of the State while undergoing treatment outside the State even if they are Government employees.

Even though there was no agreement for application of the Central Government's health scheme rate at Shija Hospital, Subha Assisted Reproductive Centre, Raj Medicity and Sky Hospital volunteered to comply with the Central Government's health scheme rate, informed the source.

If any of the empanelled private hospitals are not in a position to adopt the Central Government rate, the particular private hospitals would be removed from the list.

As fixed in 2010 under the Central Government's health scheme, the OPD charge is Rs 50.But the OPD charge at Shija Hospital, Raj Medicity, Sky Hospital and Subha Assisted Reproductive Centre ranges between Rs 300 to Rs 400 .

Cost for surgical removal of mole is Rs 5000 in most of the private hospitals.

But the cost would come down to just Rs 300 if it is calculated based on the Central Government's health scheme.

Appendix operation would cost only Rs 8108 against Rs 18000 charged by private hospitals for the same operation.

Likewise, the cost of gall bladder operation would be slashed to Rs 9000 only from the present rate of Rs 17,000 .

If the rate fixed in 2010 is reviewed this year, the medical costs of different procedures may rise to some extent.

Nonetheless, the Health Department, taking due cognizance of the complaints lodged by the private hospitals, has fixed a new rate, a little higher than the Central Government's health scheme rate.

The new rate has been forwarded to the State Government for due approval.

If the new rate is approved by the State Government, it would be applicable to all the four private hospitals.

Whether it is the Central Government rate or the State's own rate, whichever rate adopted by the Health Department would be put on public display at all the hospitals, added the source.