Jalpaiguri, North Bengal5 minutes agoAuthor: Tirthankar Das
GFX by Kamlesh Makwana.
Nagen Bhagat, a 36-year-old tribal migrant worker from Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district, has finally undergone gallbladder surgery without paying for the procedure under Ayushman Bharat.
Surgery costs proved impossible for family
Nagen was diagnosed with gallstones in 2023 while working in Mumbai. Doctors advised surgery, but the estimated cost of around Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh was beyond what he could afford.
Nagen says Swasthya Sathi failed him
According to Nagen, he approached several healthcare facilities with his Swasthya Sathi card but could not access the treatment. Unable to arrange the money, he returned home before eventually going back to Mumbai for work despite continuing abdominal pain.
Homeopathic treatment helped manage persistent pain
He said he relied on homeopathic treatment to manage his pain and continued working as a migrant labourer to support his family.
ASHA workers helped arrange Ayushman card
The situation changed this month when local ASHA workers learnt about Nagen’s condition. They helped arrange an Ayushman Bharat card and contacted healthcare providers for his treatment.
Private nursing home arranged for surgery
Nagen, a resident of Madhya Khattimari under Jhar Alta II gram panchayat, was eventually taken to a private nursing home in Jalpaiguri, around 40 km from his village.
Doctor facilitates free gallbladder operation
After contact with Jalpaiguri Medical College general surgeon Dr Saptarshi Mondal, Nagen underwent gallbladder surgery at Touch Nursing Home in Jalpaiguri under the Ayushman Bharat card without paying for the procedure, according to his family.
Patient recovering at home after operation
Nagen is currently recovering at home and has been advised to take around a month of rest.
Nagen is the sole earning member of his family and supports his wife and four-year-old son. As he has been advised to rest, he is currently unable to return to work.
Housing assistance remains another major concern
The family lives in a damaged house and depends on Nagen’s daily earnings. He also alleged that he did not receive the government assistance he expected under housing schemes or during floods under the previous government.
Housing survey raises fresh hope
Recently, however, the local gram panchayat conducted a survey of his house under the housing scheme. Nagen now hopes that he will receive a permanent home.
Nagen’s experience has triggered discussion locally about how easily poor families can access government-backed healthcare schemes and treatment.
Two health schemes face access comparison
Nagen’s experience has also brought attention to the difference between his reported difficulty accessing treatment through Swasthya Sathi and his subsequent treatment under Ayushman Bharat. His experience is specific to his case and does not by itself establish that either scheme routinely succeeds or fails.
BJP leaders cite case as example
Local BJP leaders have cited Nagen’s case while highlighting access to treatment through Ayushman Bharat. The political claim should be viewed separately from the documented details of Nagen’s individual treatment.
Recovery now matters more than politics
For Nagen, however, the political debate is secondary. After years of abdominal pain, he now wants to recover, return to work and support his family again.
