SVIMS Advises Poor Patients About RAN, HMDG For Treatment
SVIMS director and vice chancellor Dr. Guduru Jagadeesh pointed out that eligible patients can receive a one-time financial grant of up to ₹10 lakh during their lifetime, subject to government guidelines and approval.
TIRUPATI: Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati, has asked economically weaker patients suffering from major and life-threatening diseases to utilise financial assistance available under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
SVIMS director and vice chancellor Dr. Guduru Jagadeesh pointed out that eligible patients can receive a one-time financial grant of up to ₹10 lakh during their lifetime, subject to government guidelines and approval. The sanctioned amount is released directly to the hospital, enabling beneficiaries to avail cashless treatment against the approved assistance.
The assistance is available for eligible treatments in specialities including cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, oncology, urology, nephrology, gastroenterology, orthopaedics, neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.
For Andhra Pradesh, the prescribed monthly per-capita income limit for eligibility is ₹1,149 for rural areas and ₹1,249 for urban areas. Applicants must produce the required income and household documents along with medical records supporting the proposed treatment.
Those seeking assistance can also approach the Medical Record department of SVIMS. Applications for treatment should be recommended by the doctor concerned and certified by the medical superintendent of the hospital.
Dr. Jagadeesh appealed to eligible patients and their families to make use of the scheme and not delay specialised treatment due to financial constraints. He requested doctors, NGOs, and social organisations to spread awareness about the assistance available. He said the financial assistance is subject to scrutiny and sanction by the competent authorities, and the processing of applications may take up to 45 days.
In the interim, a seven-year-old boy diagnosed with a brain tumour has completed 25 fractions of radiotherapy at SVIMS without any additional financial burden on his family. Deekshith, from Kuppam in Chittoor district, had been diagnosed with ependymoma after suffering from severe headaches for about three months.
He had been brought to SVIMS after undergoing treatment in Kuppam and Bengaluru. The Radiation Oncology department admitted him on July 23 and he underwent the planned radiotherapy.
While ₹1.50 lakh had been sanctioned under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, the total treatment cost exceeded ₹2 lakh. Considering the family’s financial condition, SVIMS adjusted the remaining cost under the Sri Venkateswara Pranadana scheme.