Even two months after its formal launch, the ‘Danta Bhagya’ scheme of the State government has not yet reached the beneficiaries due to procedural delays.
The Danta Bhagya scheme, under which 30,000 poor senior citizens would get free dentures, was launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in December 2014. It is yet to be implemented in the State.
Officials from the Department of Health and Family Welfare said that the scheme, which was announced in the budget 2014-15, had not yet been put in place and the same could be attributed to delays in empanelling hospitals. There were delays even during the launch of the scheme.
“There are only two a few districts which have State government-run medical college hospitals. For the rest, there is a need to tie up with private institutions,” a senior official from the department, said. As soon as this is done, the scheme will reach the beneficiaries.
The official explained that in places like Mudigere (Chikkamagaluru district), there were no proper government set-ups where patients could be treated. In such cases, the patients would be referred to nearby districts such as Shivamogga.
“Patients from such taluks will be tagged on to nearby districts from where they can avail free dentures,” he said. Only those patients from below poverty line families with total loss of teeth are eligible for the scheme.
A sum of Rs 500 would be given to the empanelled hospitals per denture from the government for the same. At the time of the launch of the scheme, it was agreed upon that at least 45 private and government dental colleges across the State would be roped in to implement the scheme.
Accredited social health activists (Asha) workers would be entrusted with the responsibility of identifying the beneficiaries, helping them consult doctors at the nearby primary heath centres and linking them to the colleges for dental care.
An incentive of Rs 100 would be given to the Asha workers for enrolling each beneficiary. The State was also to have an oral health policy, a committee for which was formed in December. The policy is yet to be drafted.