Free and Subsidised PET-CT: — Government Options and Real Waiting Times

Yes. Aarogyasri pre-authorisation can be applied for at empanelled private centres, not only at government hospitals. Your oncologist at the private hospital applies through the scheme portal, and the scan is done at an empanelled private PET-CT centre near you. You do not need to change your treating hospital to access the scheme. Confirm with your hospital's medical social worker that the imaging centre your oncologist has in mind is currently empanelled before assuming it is covered.

You will typically need your Aarogyasri card, your Aadhaar, your oncologist's referral letter with the clinical indication, and relevant recent investigations such as biopsy reports or earlier scans. The hospital scheme desk prepares the submission package — ask them what they need from you specifically, as document requirements can change when the scheme is updated. Do not rely on a list from elsewhere.

Enrolment for Aarogyasri is done through Mee Seva centres and the Aarogyasri Trust. PMJAY enrolment is linked to the Socio-Economic Caste Census and your Aadhaar. Your hospital's social work department can walk you through the process. If your treatment is urgent and enrolment will take time, tell your oncologist — they can advise on interim options rather than having you wait twice: once for the card and once for the scan.

Equipment and radiopharmaceuticals at accredited government centres — including MNJ and NIMS — meet the same regulatory standards as accredited private centres. What can vary is the experience on the day: appointment management, waiting area comfort, and report turnaround time. The clinical interpretation is done by qualified nuclear medicine specialists at both. If the images will be used for a second opinion or an international consultation, confirm before your appointment that the centre can give you the images in standard DICOM format.

Tell your oncologist that directly. When a treatment decision is waiting on a scan result, most oncologists will tell you how long a wait is clinically acceptable in your situation. If the government centre queue is longer than that, they may apply for scheme pre-authorisation at a faster private empanelled centre, or explore a hospital waiver. The important thing is that this conversation happens before you join the queue, not after you discover the appointment is weeks away.

Yes. CION's medical social workers can support the pre-authorisation process at CION centres empanelled under Aarogyasri and PMJAY. PET-CT at CION is coordinated through partner imaging centres; your care team can advise whether a scheme-covered scan can be arranged at a nearby empanelled partner, or whether the government hospital route is more practical for your situation. Ask at your next appointment which option gives you the shorter wait.