Technical snag hits health scheme:patients deprived aid

Biometric fingerprint is mandatory to possess the health card being distributed to the people under Ayushman Bharat - Arogya Karnataka (ABARK) scheme.

The Union government made biometric mandatory following reports of middlemen fleecing the beneficiaries. However, the fingerprint of children below 10 years and senior citizens above 65 years is rejected by the equipment, it is complained.

After Yashaswini Scheme was cancelled, the Centre, in association with the state government introduced ABARK scheme.

The government made biometric mandatory to prevent fake cards. But the equipment does not register the fingerprint of children and senior citizens. So, many elderly people with health issues are not able to get the medical facility. Though the doctors claim that they can avail treatment with ration cards under the scheme, the private hospitals do not consider them.

One of the beneficiaries explained that he tried several times to get his fingerprint since May, but the machine rejects it. The Health department should fix the issue immediately, he stressed.

Crowd

Arogya card is distributed at six taluk hospitals, 10 Community Health Centres and the district hospital. As there is a huge rush at the government hospitals, it is outsourced to Common Service Centre (CSC). There are 90 CSCs in the district, which are given permission to enrol Arogya cards. The people whose biometric are rejected queue up before the centres. While a few people’s fingerprint is accepted after trying for several times, others return disappointed.

A person of the CSC complained that though the issue is brought to the notice of the Health department, no action has been taken.

Iris biometric

The affected people suggest that the authorities should scan the iris of the eye as done during Aadhaar card enrolment. Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification.

Arogya card is distributed only from 8 am to 6 pm every day. In case the server is down, it hampers the distribution of the cards. If separate time is allocated for elder citizens and children, the distribution can be expedited, opined a CSC employee.