<div><strong>By Haider Ali Khan</strong></div><div> </div><div>The Centre has decided to enhance the financial powers delegated to designated Central government-run hospitals from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for providing financial help under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) in cases where emergency surgery is to be conducted.</div><div> </div><div>The RAN, set up in 1997 to provide financial assistance to patients living below poverty line and who are suffering from major life-threatening diseases related to heart, liver, kidney and cancer cases, provides for medical treatment at any of the super specialty government hospitals.</div><div> </div><div>"Revolving funds have been set up in 12 Central government hospitals/institutes and amounts up to Rs 50 lakh is placed at their disposal for providing financial assistance," the health ministry said in a statement. </div><div> </div><div>For patients suffering from life threatening diseases, this would facilitate commencement of treatment of poor patients found prima facie eligible for assistance under the scheme by these hospitals. This would also enable to curtail the procedural delay for treatment, which would bring relief to thousands of patients annually. </div><div> </div><div>The government also provides financial assistance through the Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF) set up for providing financial assistance to the poor patients suffering from cancer having treatment in 27 Regional Cancer Centres (RCC). Financial assistance is also available under the Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG) to patients having family annual income up to Rs one lakh and below to defray a part of the expenditure on treatment in government hospitals, in cases where free medical facilities are not available. </div><div> </div><div>These schemes have benefited 37,063 poor patients so far.</div>
