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Agrahara scheme not terminated- Minister

by Ananda Kannangara

The Government's Agrahara Medical Insurance Scheme benefitting nearly 650,000 public servants in ministries, departments and Local government institutions has not been terminated, Public Administration, Management and Reforms Minister Vajira Abeywardena told the Daily News.

He said although the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation had stopped making reimbursements for Outdoor Patient treatments (OPD) and for obtaining spectacles, the Ministry had extended this benefit upto December 31 last year by circular No. 4/2002.

"But the reimbursement of hospital admission charges of public servants has not been cancelled by that circular," the Minister said.

"This means public servants still enjoy the benefit granted by the Agrahara Scheme towards hospital admissions."

The Agrahara Scheme was initiated by the Public Administration Ministry in December 1996 in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation to improve health facilities of government servants. Abeywardena said complaints are being received from public servants, inquiring whether the Government is expected to discontinue the entire Agrahara scheme or part of the benefits.

"The objective of the Government is to create a healthy society. Medical facilities now being granted for the benefit of the public will never be curtailed," he said.

A senior official of the Insurance Corporation said that the Corporation faces a severe financial crisis over the reimbursement of large sums of money every year in comparison with the premiums received from the Government.

He further said that 60 per cent of medical bills annually received from public servants are for spectacles.

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