New Delhi (NVI): Union Health Ministry has issued a clarification regarding a news article which states that in the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021, patients will get treatment under Ayushman Bharat scheme of the government.
Issuing a clarification, the ministry stated, “The financial support for treatment of rare diseases is proposed under the Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and not under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY.”
In the recently notified “National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021”, there is a provision for financial support upto Rs. 20 lakhs under the Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi for treatment, of those rare diseases that require a one-time treatment (diseases listed under Group 1 in the rare disease policy).
Beneficiaries for such financial assistance would not be limited to BPL families, but the benefit would be extended to about 40 percent of the population, who are eligible under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the ministry added.
“Besides, the Rare Diseases Policy also envisages a crowdfunding mechanism in which corporates and individuals will be encouraged to extend financial support through a robust IT platform for treatment of rare diseases,” the statement read.
Funds so collected will be utilized by Centres of Excellence for treatment of all three categories of rare diseases as a first charge and the balance financial resources can also be used for research, Health Ministry said.
-CHK
