The scheme will be on the lines of the National Health Insurance Scheme
The scheme will be on the lines of the National Health Insurance Scheme which provides smart card-based cashless health insurance cover of up to Rs 30, 000 per year to over 3.31 crore people from below poverty line families. (Photo: PTI/File)
Kochi: The railways are finally all set to introduce smart card-based cashless health insurance scheme to facilitate quick treatment to railway employees getting injured in mishaps while on duty. This was communicated to Mr C.A. Raja Sridhar, president of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union, by members of the Railway Board during a meeting last week.
“Currently, there is a lot of process before the funds are released when a worker gets injured. In many cases, the staff would require costly treatment like surgery but the same is delayed due to non-release of funds from the railway side. Hence, we had taken up the issue with the Railway Board. They have in principle agreed to introduce the smart card. The details are being worked out,” Mr Sridhar, also the vice-president of the London-based (Asia Pacific) International Transport Workers Federation, told DC.
The scheme will be on the lines of the National Health Insurance Scheme which provides smart card-based cashless health insurance cover of up to Rs 30, 000 per year to over 3.31 crore people from below poverty line families.
Meanwhile, the referral hospital facility would be soon reintroduced for the benefit of employees in the Ernakulam region. “The railways have selected the ‘Lakshmi Hospital’ in the city and an agreement will be signed soon,” the SRMU leader said.
Under the facility, the staff would be given free treatment and the cost would be settled between the railways and the hospital.
( Source : dc )
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