Around 220,000 farmers may be brought under Karnataka government’s ‘Yeshasvini’ health coverage plan during 2012-13.
Mysore taluk will have 35,000 farmers covered, the highest. The target set for Nanjangud, T Narasipur, Hunsur, KR Nagar and Periyapatna is 32,000 farmers in each taluk, while 22,000 farmers will be brought under the co-operative healthcare scheme in HD Kote taluk.
Rural-based cine actors, stage actors, and folk artistes can also become members under the scheme if they are members of cultural development co-operative societies. Those working in coffee plantations will also be eligible for the cover. They should be members of rural co-operative societies.
Similarly, those elected from the agricultural sector to the Stage Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees can also become members provided they are members of the rural co-operative societies.
Another section of employees eligible for the Yeshasvini scheme is journalists based in rural areas having membership with State Journalists’ Credit Co-operative Society. Urban journalists, however, are not eligible for the scheme.
Nomads and semi-nomads in rural areas in the state can also enroll as members if they are members of co-operative societies. Also, rural self-help group and Sthree Shakti group members are eligible.
For the first time, the state government has brought transgenders also under the scheme, said Mysore-Chamarajanagar Co-operative Central Bank president C Basave Gowda.
Enrollment for the year began on February 15 and will conclude on May 31 before which those willing to become members should enroll by paying a membership fee of ¤Rs 210.
Last year, Gowda said, Mysore district stood second at the divisional-level and third at the state-level in membership enrolment and efforts would be towards achieving first place this year .
Hospitals, which provide medical facilities under the scheme include Cauvery, JSS, Ramakrishna, Kamala Raman, Pragathi Mission, Karuna, Bharath Cancer and Mahaveer Darshan. Vivekananda Hospital of Mysore and Saragur are also in the network list. The district surgeon and district health & family officer has recommended Amrit Krupa Hospital, Roopanagar, Mysore, be brought under the network of hospitals.
Gowda suggested to the hospital heads to hold rural health check-up camps in each taluk before May.
Yeshasvini is a co-operative health care scheme launched for the first time in the country and is meant for farmers who are members of co-operative societies. Members can avail of free surgery costing up to Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for multiple surgeries in one year.
During 2010-11, over 3.04 million members enrolled under Yeshavini and Rs 41.68 lakh was generated as membership fee. The state released Rs 30 lakh. In all, 198,706 surgeries were performed.
