Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the insurance scheme for Kerala Government employees and pensioners faces a few teething troubles, 31 more private hospitals have been empanelled by the insurer. 

A few of the newly joined hospitals in the scheme include Lords Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram; Mookambika Hospital in Kanyakumari district; Chaithanya and Vasan Eye Care. Six hospitals from outside Kerala have also teamed up with MEDISEP now. The complete list would soon be published by the Kerala Finance Department and the Oriental Insurance Company.

Earlier a few private hospitals had opted out and stopped providing medical treatment under the Medical Insurance for State Employees and Pensioners (MEDISEP) scheme, citing the delay in settling the claimed amount and paying only a minimal amount.

Now, private hospitals, including KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum, Thiruvananthapuram, which were reluctant to join hands with the scheme for the past one-and-a-half months have now tied up with the insurer. 

KIMSHEALTH has agreed to do transplant surgeries in association with MEDISEP in the initial phase. Later, it will be extended to other treatments also.  

When the scheme was rolled out on July 1, 246 hospitals were empanelled. 

CM to hold talks with Cooperative hospitals 

Kerala Chief Minister has also decided to hold a meeting with the representatives of various cooperative hospitals and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, which are not yet on board.

The Government is also considering the withdrawal of grants and other aids if the hospitals which function on the State Government’s aid do not cooperate with the scheme.  

23,207 persons avail treatment

As many as 23,207 individuals have so far availed the state insurance facility. Insurance to the tune of Rs 66 crore was availed by them. Out of this amount Rs 59 crore against 21,380 claims were reimbursed to private hospitals. Government hospitals were allotted Rs 3 crore (1,684 claims). Rs 3.53 crore has been allotted for organ transplant surgeries of 143 individuals.

The details of the treatments availed from each hospital and the claims made so far on MEDISEP have been published on the website’s dashboard.

Private hospitals topping in the utilisation of the insurance include NS Memorial Hospital, Kollam (848);   Amala Institute, Thrissur (735);  AKG Hospital, Kannur (609); MVR Cancer Centre, Kozhikode (590); and EMS Hospital, Malappuram (524).

Thiruvananthapuram RCC (315), Kottayam Medical College (245), Kozhikode Medical College (143), Kannur Pariyaram Medical College (139) and Thiruvananthapuram Medical College (128) top the list among Government hospitals.

Knee replacement surgeries were carried out for 168 persons under MEDISEP while hip replacements were done for 16 persons. Three underwent liver transplant surgeries. 

Kozhikode district tops the list of districts for the number of claims made under MEDISEP, with 3,632 claims, while Ernakulam (2,823) and Malappuram (2,684) follow in second and third position. Palakkad district has made the least number of claims so far (1,114).