IRDAI standardises health policies for Robotic and bariatric surgeries

IRDAI standardises health policies for Robotic and bariatric surgeries

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and interventions; Health & GS-III – Trade

In news

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has standardised all health policies to include robotic and bariatric surgeries as well.

Key takeaways

• Robotic surgery holds significant promise in the field of healthcare. 
• The introduction of such surgeries has made the performance of complicated procedures much easier.
• They allow doctors to perform different types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility, and control.
• The benefits of such procedures in India come at a lower cost than in developed nations, making it easily accessible to a larger section of the population.
• Robotic surgeries reduce the trauma caused to the patient by allowing surgery to be performed through small ports or ‘keyholes’ rather than via large incisions.
• The instruments can access hard-to-reach areas of a patient’s body more easily through smaller incisions compared with traditional open and laparoscopic surgeries.
• This helps in shorter recovery times, with fewer complications and a shorter hospital stay. 
• They are minimally invasive, painless and have a bigger cosmetic advantage.
• Lower cost of the surgery would mean lower premium to be paid for such cover, too.

Do you know? 

• Bariatric surgery is an operation that helps lose weight by making changes to the digestive system.

• Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is a regulatory body created with the aim of protecting the interests of the insurance customers.
• It regulates and sees to the development of the insurance industry while monitoring insurance-related activities.