Consequent upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s launch of the world’s largest government funded health care programme, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Assam Chief Minister Sarbanadna Sonowal on Sunday rolled out Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission at a programme held at Khanapra Veterinary Playground here.
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.
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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, chief minister Sarbananda 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.
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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. He also said that the scheme will ensure access to advanced and affordable health care delivery system to the poor.
Giving a snapshot of the schemes of the NDA government at the Centre, Sonowal said that the schemes like Ujjawala, Jan Dhan Yojana, Saubhagya, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana all targeted to ameliorate socio-economic conditions of the people of the country.
The bottom line of these schemes lies on the fact that the governments both at the centre as well as in the state are trying their level best to lend dignity to the lives of the people of the country, Sonowal added.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. 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.
It may be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the scheme to the service of the people from Jharkhand capital Ranchi who termed the scheme as a bid to empower the economically backward sections of the society.
Under the scheme, Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Mitra will be pressed into service who will be the primary contact for the beneficiaries at every empanelled hospital. The beneficiaries have been drawn based on the data of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011.
Sonowal also distributed cards to few beneficiaries at the programme.
Union Minster of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, MP Bijoya Chakraborty, Hill Areas Development Minister Sum Ronghang, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Pijush Hazarika, several MLAs, Chief Secretary Alok Kumar and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.