On April 27, 2024, MOHAN Foundation organized a masterclass on "Government Schemes: Challenges and Opportunities," in collaboration with the Network and Alliance of Transplant Coordinators (NATCO), for its employees and NATCO members. The SBI Foundation provided support for the workshop.

The objective of the masterclass was to provide attendees with knowledge regarding:

• An overview of various government schemes.

• Utilization of schemes in government hospitals.

• Private hospital perspectives on the utilization of these schemes.

Experts invited for the session included Dr Rimy Khurana, Healthcare Consultant, New Delhi; Dr Subho Banerjee from the Department of Nephrology, IKDRC-ITS; N K Vijaywargi, GM Operations and Transplant Coordinator, ILS Hospital Dumdum, Kolkata; and Dr A.K. Yadav, Joint Director (CMONFSG) NOTTO.

Ms. Pallavi Kumar, President of NATCO, welcomed speakers and participants to the masterclass.

Dr Rimy Khurana elaborated on Central and State Government Schemes supporting transplants:

1. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY:

o Provides financial assistance to the lower 40% of the population.

o Covers all pre-existing health conditions.

o Includes transplant packages for Renal, Bone marrow, Haemodialysis, and Corneal grafting.

2. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN):

o Started in 2019, it comprises three components including Health Minister’s cancer patients fund and financial assistance for patients with specified rare diseases.

o Managed by the Department of Health and Family Welfare under MoH&FW.

o Supports BPL individuals suffering from major life-threatening illnesses like Heart and Lung, Bone marrow, Renal, and Liver transplants.

3. Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program:

o Launched by MoH&FW, covering Haemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis.

o Provides free dialysis services at district hospitals for the poor.

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Dr Subho Banerjee discussed the utilization of schemes from a government hospital perspective, highlighting challenges such as immunology workups, reimbursement processes under PM-JAY, and dialysis procedures.

N K Vijaywargi shared the experiences of ILS Hospital regarding the utilization of various schemes, including the in-house Swasthya Sathi scheme of West Bengal, which provides coverage up to Rs. 5 lakhs for state residents.

Dr A.K. Yadav mentioned that around 80% of transplants occur in private hospitals, emphasizing efforts to increase transplant procedures in government sectors. Proposals have been made to expand financial assistance and increase the number of transplant centres in the country, with ongoing discussions at AIIMS.

Participants raised queries such as the eligibility of non-West Bengal residents for the Swasthya Sathi Scheme and the process of hospital empanelment for PMNRF.

The session was attended by a total of 48 participants.