GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal rolled out the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission at a programme here on Sunday.
The programme aims to make healthcare accessible and affordable, by providing a coverage of Rs 5 lakh to 10 crore economically backward families.
Nearly 31 states and Union Territories will implement the programme to enable 50 crore Indians reap dividends from the scheme.
The ambitious scheme, named the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan, targets economically backward families from both rural and urban India. Eligible people can avail the benefits in government and listed private hospitals. The beneficiaries are identified based on four ‘deprivation categories’.
There is no cap on family size and age in the scheme, ensuring that nobody is left out. In case of hospitalisation, members of the beneficiary families do not need to pay anything under the scheme, provided one goes to a government or an empanelled private hospital.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal termed the day as a historic day for India.
Expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonowal said, “We are committed to building a healthy and fit state and Ayushman Bharat conceptualized under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will benefit approximately 27 lakh poor and vulnerable families which will bring in paradigm shift in the health care system in the state”.
He, however, said that awareness needs to be generated throughout the state, for all the targeted individuals to reap benefits from the programme.
He also said that the scheme has the potential to target even the poorest of the poor as henceforth these vulnerable sections of the society need not to worry about the out of pocket expenditure for any health related issues.
Sonowal also said that the scheme will ensure access to advanced and affordable health care delivery system to the poor.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while speaking on the occasion, said that through Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the State government would aim at touching the lives of 1.40 crore individuals of the state.
He also said that under the scheme the government has decided to distribute laminated card to every family from November 24 and the process will end on October 10.
Under the scheme 1350 procedures and 1394 medical and surgical packages will be covered and treatment can be done in all medical colleges and empanelled nursing homes. Moreover, from November 1, 2018 all district hospitals will be brought under the purview of the scheme.
Chief minister Sonowal also distributed cards to a few beneficiaries at the programme.
