Vajpayee Arogyasri to cover APL families in State

The Vajpayee Arogyasri (health) scheme, which covers BPL (below poverty line)  families, will now be extended to APL (above poverty line) families, said Health Minister U T Khader

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He was speaking to media after attending the progress review meeting of the Health department held in the city on Tuesday. The decision has been taken to enable APL families meet the expenses for treatment of life-threatening diseases and surgeries, he added.“A discussion in this regard has already been held with chief minister and the extension of the scheme would be announced shortly,” Khader said.

 The APL families have to contribute 30 per cent of the total expense while rest would be contributed by the State government.

The minister said that steps would be taken to fill 18,000 vacant posts of doctors, specialists and para medical staff in the next three years. The The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) has been directed to recruit 200 doctors and 1,600 specialists. Apart from this the Health department is also in the process of recruiting 3,500 nurses and Group C and D workers, he added.

The government is now focussed on controlling vector-borne diseases—dengue, malaria and chikungunya as they have found to be very fatal. Steps will also be taken to effectively implement National Vector-borne Diseases Control Programme, he added.