Better incentives for better quality healthcare providers under AB-PMJAY: National Health Authority CEO

New Delhi [India], August 24 : The ambitious Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme has completed over two crore hospital admissions so far as per the CEO of the National Health Authority.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Dr R S Sharma, CEO of National Health Authority said that the target is to cover the whole country.
"The reach of Ayushman Bharat to each eligible beneficiary, the country is our target. And that is what we will continue to achieve, the numbers will continue to come, but those numbers are not important what is important is that we should reach everybody," Sharma said.
On how to ensure the quality of healthcare people are getting with the help of Ayushman Bharat Dr Sharma said that National Health Authority (NHA) will be providing incentives to those hospitals which have a better quality of healthcare system and services.
"There are four things which are important. One is that we should get the quality, all the eligible hospitals and quality hospitals. We are also ensuring that those hospitals, which have got better health quality care, they have better certification they have better standards of quality, these are provided with some kind of incentives," Sharma said.
"So we are incentivizing the hospitals who deliver the quality of health care. Secondly, of course, associating everybody who has big hospital chains and in villages small change also is something which will ensure that people get quality health care. Secondly, we are also ensuring that the rates of care, also are realistic, so that more hospitals come over," he added.
Dr Sharma further informed about the upcoming changes in the payment methods, "We are also changing the methods of payment because reimbursement, used to take some time, we are reducing that time. So, that the hospital does not have to wait. They don't have to wait for the money to be reimbursed for the treatments they are given to the people."
On fraudulent billing by hospitals, he said, "No, we have a very robust system of fraud detection no if there is a fraud, if there is a suspicion of any kind, then there is an IT system in place. They are detected and they are immediately investigated."
As of now, Ayushman Bharat Scheme has been implemented in all 33 states and union territories, Dr Sharma said.
Further, on the new vaccine tracking platform, Dr Sharma said, "I think that's a great idea, and we will now be basically creating another instance of this programme, so as to monitor the immunisation in this country.
"It will also be very useful because now we will be able to keep track of each child's vaccination and immunisation programme, so as to ensure the follow up of the child. I think we'll be able to have a much better hold on the much better coverage on the immunisation programme in our country," he said