An anomaly with the Swasthya Sathi scheme has come to the notice of the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Swasthya Sathi scheme is a health insurance programme under the state government that covers secondary and tertiary healthcare up to Rs 5 lakh per annum, per family.
According to a PTI report, today, Thursday, November 28, Banerjee said that it has been reported that there was a significant increase in expenses related to the Swasthya Sathi scheme across the state during the protests that erupted following the tragic rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
This surge in expenditures raises concerns, hence, the CM prompted the state government to investigate the matter to understand the reasons behind the financial surge.
During the assembly session, the CM declared that there would be punitive actions against the culprits. "At that time (during the RG Kar protests), there was a surge in the expenditure under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. We are conducting an inquiry. The culprits will be punished," she said.
The information was revealed during a survey. According to it, during the protests for the deceased woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, there was a notable increase in the state's expenditure on patient treatment under the Swasthya Sathi scheme in private hospitals.