Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has strengthened its health security programs by sanctioning an additional Rs 124.63 crore for its flagship Karunya Health Security Scheme (KASP) and Karunya Benevolent Fund (KBF).
Over the past five years, the Karunya schemes have benefited 25.17 lakh people, providing free treatment worth Rs 7,708 crore. Under KASP, 24.06 lakh patients availed benefits totaling Rs 7,163 crore, while 64,075 patients received treatment worth Rs 544 crore through KBF.
Of the newly released funds, Rs 75.66 crore has been earmarked for KASP and Rs 49.3 crore for KBF. Hospitals that treated beneficiaries under KASP have received payments via the State Health Agency (SHA), while KBF allocations were disbursed through the Lottery Department.
Currently, 43.07 lakh families are covered under KASP, which provides up to ₹5 lakh in free treatment per family per year through a network of 591 empanelled hospitals across the public and private sectors. The scheme was created by merging earlier health programs, including RSBY, CHIS, and CHIS Plus.
KBF, on the other hand, targets families with an annual income below Rs 3 lakh who are not enrolled under KASP, offering one-time free treatment assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh, with an enhanced limit of Rs 3 lakh for renal-related illnesses.
Kerala has set a national benchmark in equitable healthcare delivery and has been honoured with the Arogya Manthan Award for three consecutive years for providing the highest number of free treatments in the country, Health Minister Veena George said.
Beneficiaries seeking assistance or wishing to file complaints can contact the DISHA helpline (1056/104) or approach SHA’s district and state offices.
With these continued allocations, the Karunya schemes remain at the heart of Kerala’s acclaimed social welfare model, delivering financial relief and quality healthcare to lakhs of families.
