Healthcare scheme for Himachal's elderly, single women

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Thursday approved a healthcare scheme that will cover single women, senior citizens and daily-wage workers among others with an outlay of Rs.12 crore for this fiscal, an official said.

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, approved the Mukhya Mantri State Health Care Scheme that would cover more than 150,000 people, a government spokesperson told IANS.

The scheme would cover single women, senior citizens above the age of 80 years, Anganwadi and mid-day meal workers, daily-wage and part-time workers of the state, autonomous bodies and societies, who are not covered under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna or any other medical reimbursement scheme.

The beneficiaries would be eligible for coverage of financial costs of in-patient healthcare services and certain specified day-care procedures not requiring hospitalisation, the spokesperson said.

The cabinet also observed two-minute silence as a tribute to late former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

It also gave its nod to fill 500 posts of paramedical staff in the health and family welfare department under the Rogi Kalyan Samitis, either by direct recruitment, or on promotions or on batch-wise basis.