THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government cabinet has decided to widen the scope of Karunya benevolent fund so as to bring hospitals outside Kerala also under the scheme. At the Cabinet briefing today, the chief minister said Karunya scheme would also be made applicable to hospitals outside Kerala with all desired facilities, provided they are ready to accept the scheme’s broadened criteria.
Decision was also taken on lifetime allotment of medicines for Factor 8, Factor 9, Feiba and Factor 7 to haemophilia patients availing themselves of Karunya facility. In this case, there will be no differentiation on the basis of BPL or APL. The current limit imposed on the quantity of medicines will be done away with, considering the feedback at mass contact programmes, according to the chief minister.
“Karunya benevolent scheme is government’s humane face. When lotteries had other names during the previous government’s period, now Karunya scheme has got people’s support. Rs 700 crore has been allotted for the scheme by now. The decision to extend the scheme to states outside Kerala was taken considering the complaints received at Kozhikode mass contact programme that the scheme could not be utilised in Mangalapuram hospitals,” he said.
Regarding KSRTC demand, the chief minister said chief secretary Jiji Thomson has been asked to examine the demand for fund to pay off pension arrears and other liabilities. “According to the package declared by the government, KSRTC will raise an amount and the government will provide a fixed fund. It won’t be difficult to implement this,” he added.
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