Overview of Health Initiatives in Bihar

The health sector in Bihar faces significant challenges due to its large population, rural spread, and historical infrastructure gaps. However, both the Central and State Governments have launched several initiatives to address these issues, focusing on:

• Financial Protection: Reducing out-of-pocket expenditure for hospitalization.
• Access to Care: Strengthening public health infrastructure, increasing human resources, and providing transport.
• Maternal and Child Health: Reducing mortality rates and improving nutrition.
• Disease Control: Tackling communicable and non-communicable diseases.
• Digital Health: Leveraging technology for better service delivery.

The **State Health Society, Bihar (SHSB)** plays a pivotal role in implementing most of these schemes, often in convergence with national programs.

Major Health Insurance/Assurance Schemes

1. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)

• Overview: A flagship national health assurance scheme by the Government of India, implemented in Bihar. It provides a health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
• Eligibility: Primarily identified based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data for rural and urban deprivation categories. Over 1 crore families in Bihar are currently covered.
• Benefits: Cashless and paperless treatment at empanelled public and private hospitals, covering pre-hospitalization (up to 3 days), hospitalization, and post-hospitalization (up to 15 days) expenses, including diagnostics, medicines, and surgical charges.
• Ayushman Card: Eligible beneficiaries receive an Ayushman Card (Golden Card) to avail benefits. Bihar has made significant strides in Ayushman Card creation.
• Implementation in Bihar: Managed by the Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti (BISWASS) under the State Health Society, Bihar.
• Official Link: Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti (BISWASS) (for Ayushman Bharat Bihar specific info) and National Health Authority (PM-JAY)

2. Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana (CMJAY), Bihar

• Overview: Launched by the Bihar government to extend health insurance coverage to those families who were eligible under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) but were excluded from the PM-JAY database. It provides similar benefits as PM-JAY.
• Eligibility: NFSA-enrolled families in Bihar not covered under PM-JAY. The government aims to cover around 89 lakh such families.
• Benefits: Health insurance cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization, similar to PM-JAY. Empanelled hospitals under PM-JAY also provide treatment under CMJAY.
• Application: Eligible families can apply at their nearest Suvidha Kendra or PMJAY empanelled hospital with their Ration card (NFSA), Aadhaar card, Caste certificate, Income certificate, and bank details.
• Rationale: To ensure universal health insurance coverage in Bihar by filling the gap left by PM-JAY's specific beneficiary criteria.

3. Bihar State Journalist Insurance Scheme, 2014

• Overview: Provides financial benefits and facilities under a group mediclaim & personal accident insurance scheme to working media representatives in Bihar.
• Benefits: Personal accident insurance coverage up to ₹5,00,000/- and medical expense coverage up to ₹5,00,000/- for the insured and their dependents (spouse and two dependent children).
• Contribution: Media representatives contribute 20% of the premium, while the government covers the remaining 80%.
• Eligibility: Working journalists/media representatives with specific qualifications and accreditation.

Maternal and Child Health Initiatives

Bihar has focused heavily on reducing maternal and child mortality through various interventions, largely under the umbrella of the National Health Mission (NHM) and its sub-missions like the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): Aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for pregnant women and sick neonates by providing free delivery (including C-section), drugs, consumables, diagnostics, blood, and transport from home to health institutions, between facilities, and drop back home.
• Janani Evam Bal Suraksha Yojana: Provides cash assistance with institutional care during delivery, coupled with antenatal care and immediate post-partum care to reduce maternal and infant mortality. Pregnant women from BPL families may receive financial incentives.
• Routine Immunization Program: Campaigns to ensure universal immunization coverage against vaccine-preventable diseases for children and pregnant women. Special drives like Pulse Polio Immunization are regularly conducted.
• Anaemia Control Programme: Distribution of Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) tablets to pregnant and lactating mothers and adolescent girls through Anganwadi Centers.
• Vitamin-A Supplementation Programme: Providing Vitamin A syrup to children aged 9 months to 5 years biannually.
• Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC): ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) provide essential newborn care services at home, including monitoring for danger signs and promoting breastfeeding.
• Bal Hriday Yojana: Launched to provide free treatment to children afflicted with congenital heart defects (specifically hole in the heart or ventricular septal defect). This is a significant state-specific initiative.

Disease Control and Public Health Programs

• National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP): Aims to eliminate TB by 2025, providing free diagnosis, treatment, and support to TB patients, including nutritional support (Nikshay Poshan Yojana).
• National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP): Focuses on controlling and preventing vector-borne diseases like Malaria, Filariasis, Kala-azar (Kala-azar is particularly prevalent in some parts of Bihar), Dengue, Chikungunya, and Japanese Encephalitis. Bihar has specific programs for Kala-azar elimination, including free diagnostics and drugs.
• National AIDS Control Programme (NACP): Efforts to prevent and control HIV/AIDS, including awareness, testing, and treatment.
• Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Program: Focuses on screening, early diagnosis, and management of common NCDs like diabetes, hypertension, and common cancers at various levels of healthcare facilities.
• Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program: Providing free dialysis services at district hospitals.
• Tele-ECG and Telemedicine Services: State Health Society is increasingly adopting technology for remote diagnostics and consultations, especially in rural areas, to bridge specialist gaps.

Healthcare Infrastructure and Human Resources

• Strengthening Health Infrastructure: Ongoing efforts to upgrade Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), Sub-Centres, and District Hospitals. This includes construction of new facilities, renovation, and provision of equipment.
• Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals: Regular recruitment drives for doctors (MBBS, Specialists, Ayush), nurses, ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives), and paramedics to address human resource shortages, often on contractual bases.
• ASHAs and Anganwadi Workers: These frontline health workers are the backbone of rural healthcare delivery, providing community-level counseling, basic health services, and linking communities to health facilities. Bihar has a large network of ASHAs.
• Free Medicine Distribution: Ensuring the availability of essential free medicines at all levels of government health facilities.
• Ambulance Services: Provision of free ambulance services (e.g., 102 ambulance service for pregnant women and sick infants) to facilitate access to healthcare institutions.
• Mobile Medical Units (MMUs): Deployed in remote and underserved areas to provide basic healthcare services.
• **Mukhyamantri Gramin Parivahan Yojana (Ambulance Component):** While primarily a rural transport subsidy scheme, it specifically offers higher subsidies for individuals purchasing ambulances, encouraging their use for public health services in rural areas. This helps improve medical transport accessibility.

Official Resources for Health Schemes in Bihar

For the most accurate and up-to-date information on Bihar's health schemes, refer to these official government websites:

• State Health Society, Bihar (SHSB): https://shs.bihar.gov.in/ (The primary portal for health-related schemes, tenders, and announcements in Bihar).
• Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti (BISWASS): https://biswass.bihar.gov.in/ (Specific to Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY implementation in Bihar).
• Department of Health, Government of Bihar: https://state.bihar.gov.in/health/ (Provides information on broader health policies and initiatives).
• National Health Authority (NHA), Government of India: https://nha.gov.in/ (For details on PM-JAY and other central health schemes).

It's advisable to check these portals regularly for new schemes, updates, and application procedures as health policies and programs are dynamic.