Assam Arogya Nidhi

Why was Assam Arogya Nidhi Introduced

The Assam Arogya Nidhi Scheme was introduced in order to bridge critical healthcare gaps for vulnerable populations. Low-income and BPL families often face catastrophic, out-of-pocket expenses when dealing with life-threatening medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, or bone marrow transplants.

By providing financial grants of up to ₹3 lakh per beneficiary, the scheme acts as a vital safety net to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent marginalised patients from accessing specialized, high-cost medical care.

Key Highlights- Assam Arogya Nidhi

Eligibility to Apply for Assam Arogya Nidhi

To be eligible for financial support under the Assam Arogya Nidhi Scheme, one should meet the following conditions:

• Income Limit : It is essential for the applicant to be from the below poverty line category or to have an annual family income of less than ₹5 lakhs.
• Residential Qualification: Applicant needs to be a resident of Assam.
• Health Criteria: Patient should be needing treatment for:
• Life-threatening diseases: like Cancer, Heart Diseases & Heart Surgery, Kidney & Urinary Disorders, Thalassemia, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Orthopaedic disorders, AIDS or chronic mental illness needing surgical treatment.
• Serious trauma/injuries: from natural/man-made disasters like road/rail accidents, farm/industry accidents or bomb blasts.
• Health Treatment Centre: Financial help would be available only in the case of surgical or medical treatment done in a government hospital, tertiary care centre or referral empanelled hospital in Assam, as well as outside Assam.

What Assam Arogya Nidhi Covers

1. Financial Assistance: Under the Assam Arogya Nidhi Scheme, financial assistance up to an amount of ₹3 lakh may be provided for health needs, including general or specialised health services. These may include the following two main categories:
2. Life-Threatening Disease
   • Oncology: Diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
   • Cardiology: Diseases of the heart and open heart surgery.
   • Nephrology & Urology: Treatment of kidney/urinary diseases either by treatment or surgery.
   • Haematology: Treatment of thalassemia/Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT).
   • Orthopaedics: Complicated orthopaedic surgeries/joint surgery.
   • Mental disorder: Treatment of chronic mental disorder where surgery is needed.
   • Other Critical Ailments: Treatment of AIDS, other critical ailments where surgery is needed.
3. Injuries/Trauma in Disaster/Emergency Situation
   • Treatment of severe injuries sustained in natural or man-made disasters.
   • First aid treatment of patients injured due to road, rail, agriculture and factory accidents.
   • Services in case of bomb blast/civil disturbance resulting in severe injury.

Documentation Required to Apply for Assam Arogya Nidhi

• An attested photograph of the patient by a doctor.
• Family Income Certificate from the Revenue Circle Officer.
• Identity & address proof (Voter ID, Aadhaar Card, or Driving License).
• Original medical bills, vouchers, receipts, discharge summary, and prescription copies (documents must not be older than 6 months).
• Copy of the bank passbook first page.
• Copy of PMJAY card (showing status/exhaustion).

How to Apply Step by Step

Step 1: Download and fill out the Application Form

• Download the official application form from the National Health Mission (NHM) Assam website (nhm.assam.gov.in).
• Fill out the form completely with the patient's personal, medical, and income details.

Step 2: Gather Required Documents

Ensure all supporting documents are attached (note that medical documents must not be older than 6 months at the time of submission):

• Attested Patient Photo: Patient photograph signed/attested by a treating doctor.
• Income Certificate: Attested copy issued by the Revenue Circle Officer showing annual family income under ₹5 lakh.
• Identity & Address Proof: Attested copy of Voter ID, Aadhaar Card, or Driving License.
• Medical Records: Original bills, vouchers, cash receipts, and doctor prescription copies.
• Hospitalization Documents: Original Discharge Summary from the treating hospital.
• Bank Details: Attested photocopy of the first page of the patient's Bank Passbook showing the account number and IFSC code.
• PMJAY/MMJAY Proof: Copy of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana / Atal Amrit Abhiyan card (or proof of exhausted limits under these health schemes).

Step 3: Application Submission Route

For Hospitalized Patients (Emergency / Ongoing Treatment)

• Submit the application directly to the Principal or Superintendent of the Medical College & Hospital where the patient is admitted.
• The hospital administration will process and forward the request via the digital system to the Mission Director, NHM, Assam, to release financial support before discharge.

For General Direct Submissions

• Submit the completed application form along with all required documents directly to the central office:

Office of the Mission Director, National Health Mission, Assam, Saikia Commercial Complex, Christian Basti, Guwahati – 781005

Step 4: Verification & Approval

• Expert Committee Review: An expert panel of specialist doctors from Guwahati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) reviews and vets all submitted applications.
• Committee Approval: Requests up to ₹2 Lakh are sanctioned by the AAN (Assam Arogya Nidhi) Selection Committee.Whereas requests between ₹2 Lakh and ₹3 Lakh are forwarded to the State Level Committee or the Chief Minister for approval.

Step 5: Fund Disbursement

• Once sanctioned, the financial assistance is transferred via Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) to the beneficiary’s bank account or remitted directly to the treating hospital.

Referral Hospital in Assam under Arogya Nidhi Scheme

Assam Arogya Nidhi Helpline Number

Other Related Government Schemes

• Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi: Centrally Sponsored Scheme that provides financial assistance up to 15 lakh to BPL patients.
• PM-JAY: a national health protection scheme that offers coverage up to ₹5 lakh per family per year to low-income families.
• Delhi Arogya Nidhi: Delhi state initiative that provides financial assistance up to 5 lakh to low-income residents who have lived in Delhi for at least 3 years
• Atal Amrit Abhiyan: a health insurance scheme launched by the Assam government that provides coverage up to ₹2 lakh annually.