In 2022- 23, the Bengal government spent more than Rs 200 crores to cure patients having Swasthya Sathi cards and suffering from heart ailments, cancer, and knee problems.
Most of the money was spent on people suffering from heart problems said a senior official of the health department. Around 3,050 patients underwent angioplasty at Rs 12.21 crores. And, as many as 12,372 critical patients underwent angioplasty, costing Rs 71.30 crores.
Bypass surgery (on pumps) was conducted on 5,903 patients at Rs 60 crores. Joint knee replacement was done at Rs 23.59 lakhs. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy was conducted on 4,941 patients at Rs 42.30 crores.
Manjula Bauri, a resident of Baruipur in South 24-Parganas said she was suffering from tongue cancer and overcome the disease because of the Swasthya Sathi card. Tulu Hembram of Jhargram got her valve in the heart replaced with the help of the Swasthya Sathi card.
A senior official of the state health department said under the Swasthya Card scheme, difficult and costly surgeries like valve replacement, angioplasty, bypass surgeries, and installation of pacemakers were done free of cost. In West Bengal, treatments in state-run hospitals are free.
The patients receive the best treatment and are looked after properly. It is because of the amenities available now; the state-run hospitals are flooded with people. The government has given emphasis on the treatment of cancer patients and a building is coming up opposite the SSKM hospital.
The SSKM hospital has been chosen as the global centre to carry out an experiment with prior and fast detection of breast cancer.
