Private hospitals will no longer provide orthopaedic care under the Swasthya Sathi Card. The state government has made significant changes to the Swasthya Sathi Project. However, this instruction does not apply to orthopaedic care following a car accident. A recent directive from the Health Department specifies that orthopaedic care for any bone-related issue covered by the Swasthya Sathi Card will be exclusively available in government facilities.

In a recent notification, the state government said that in the last few years, it has upgraded the infrastructure in all subdivisions, state general hospitals, super speciality hospitals, and medical facilities controlled by the Health and Family Welfare Department.

Noting that these facilities are not adequately utilised to their potential, the notification read that since the government is providing sufficient implants to provide quality and affordable treatment to all patients visiting hospitals in the nearest orthopaedics facility, all cold orthopaedic cases can be admitted to private hospitals only if certified by officials from the nearby hospital not below the rank of a sub-divisional hospital having an orthopaedic facility.

However, the notification clarified that there will be no restriction on admitting any Swasthya Sathi beneficiaries for emergency and life-saving orthopaedic cases.

Furthermore, the state government has discontinued coverage for a wide range of additional services, including medical and dental procedures, previously covered under the system.

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According to sources, health officials and health education authorities have issued this directive district by district. The directive emphasises proper utilisation of the Swasthya Sathi Project and government healthcare facilities, as well as a crackdown on malpractice and overbilling.

It may be recalled that the Swasthya Sathi Project formerly disallowed orthopaedic care in private facilities in the Malda and Murshidabad districts. At the time, the instruction indicated that the orthopaedic departments of government hospitals in these districts were sufficiently equipped. As a result, this choice has been made. However, if the district health authority grants permission, orthopaedic care in private institutions will be permitted under the Swasthya Sathi Project.

The move raises the question of whether the government is trying to stop various malpractices that have crept into the scheme.

The controversial health insurance scheme has already been criticised by many doctors in the past as well. In an interview, prominent cardiac surgeon Dr Kunal Sarkar referred to the programme as "half-baked" and urged the government to reconsider it to allow treatments to be received by deserving recipients.