Karnataka government is all set to create a trust with a Rs.200 crore corpus for its health insurance scheme for farmers- 'Yashasvini'. Chief Minister, SM Krishna, will head the trust and the announcement was made in the wake of the scheme's first anniversary to be observed on November 14.

The state cabinet has cleared the formation of the trust, which is expected to come into being within a week, according to Karnataka health minister Kagodu Thimmappa.

The main objective of the trust is to ensure that Yashasvini would be implemented as a permanent programme of the successive governments.

The scheme, which was introduced by the Karnataka co-operative department in association with Narayana Hrudayalaya, National Insurance Company and United Insurance Company. These institutions have enabled farmers and their families to avail medical facilities for cardiac, kidney problem and other serious ailments free of cost at 35-45 hospitals across Karnataka. Over 16 lakh farmers' families had been covered under the scheme so far and another 9 lakh families were targeted to be covered by March 2004. While 17,224 persons had availed the medical treatment under Yashasvini so far, 3,594 surgeries including 1,000 cardiac cases had been performed so far. A total of 79 major hospitals, including super speciality centres have been enrolled under the scheme, said sources from the Karnataka co-operative department.

Only those farmers who are having membership of any cooperative society for more than six months are covered under Yashasvini. They are enrolled after the payment of a nominal premium of Rs. 5 per month. Even the spouse and the dependent children of the insured farmer are enrolled in the scheme upon payment of additional monthly premium of Rs. 5 per head. The government has being bearing a part of the premium.

The scheme has provided for full surgery costs for even complicated procedures for ailments of heart, kidney, neuro and even cancer at specified hospitals and nursing homes throughout the state. The insured persons have also been entitled for free outpatient consultations and 30-50 percent rebate on medical treatments for normal illness.

Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, managing director, Narayana Hrudayalaya told Pharmabiz.com that the Yashasvini scheme has been a boon to the farmers. The basic problem of farmers and rural poor in availing medical treatment was unaffordability and the scheme has been tailored to meet such requirements. Hence efforts had been made to not only cover the serious complications like major surgeries which are not large in numbers, but also include common emergencies like appendix, gall bladder, cataracts, fractures and bone injuries due to fall besides uterine complications in women.