Knee Surgery for Mere 67 Rupees Under Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka Yojana

Chamarajanagara: In a remarkable example of affordable healthcare, knee surgery that typically costs lakhs of rupees was conducted for just 67 rupees under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka Yojana(ABAKY). Doctors at Chamarajanagar CIMS (Chamarajanagar Government Medical College Hospital) performed this procedure, drawing attention to the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

Patellar ligament reconstruction surgery, a costly procedure, was successfully completed for five patients at the nominal cost of 67 rupees each. This achievement comes five years after the implementation of the ABAKY, which provides free healthcare services that many people remain unaware of.

To raise awareness about the scheme and its healthcare facilities, CIMS doctors organized a special workshop where knee ligament reconstruction surgeries were performed simultaneously on five individuals. The expenses were as follows: 10 rupees for an outpatient card, 25 rupees for entry, and 2 rupees for Aadhaar card and BPL card photocopies. This brought the total cost per patient to a mere 67 rupees. Patients belonging to the SC and ST communities received the procedure completely free of charge, as informed by Dr. Maruthi , Head of the Joint and Orthopedic Department.

Dr. Maruthi also garnered attention through a live demonstration, marking a significant milestone. While medical students usually receive training through videos or cadaver-based procedures, Dr. Maruthi organized the first-ever live demonstration of patellar ligament reconstruction surgery at Cims Hospital among government medical college hospitals in the state. Registered doctors from various hospitals had the opportunity to participate in surgery training in person. Five teams of five were formed, allowing them to witness and learn surgical procedures directly from specialists.

This workshop aimed to make Ayushman Yojana benefits more accessible to the general public and ensure that specialist knowledge is available to doctors from different hospitals, furthering the goal of affordable and accessible healthcare.