Number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries crosses 1 cr mark
| Date :21-May-2020 |
NEW DELHI :
Prime Minister speaks with beneficiary number 1 crore Pooja Thapa from Meghalaya. He also shared the audio clip of the conversation
THE number of people who have benefited from the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme has crossed the one crore-mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, noting that the initiative has had a positive impact on several lives. In September 2018, Modi had launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ayushman Bharat. It has been termed as the biggest Government-sponsored healthcare scheme in the world. “It would make every Indian proud that the number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries has crossed 1 crore. In less than two years, this initiative has had a positive impact on so many lives,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.
He congratulated all the beneficiaries and their families and prayed for their good health. He appreciated the doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and all others associated with Ayushman Bharat, saying that their efforts have made it the largest healthcare programme in the world. “This initiative has won the trust of several Indians, especially the poor and downtrodden,” he said. One of the biggest benefits of Ayushman Bharat is portability, the Prime Minister pointed out. “Beneficiaries can get top quality and affordable medical care not only where they registered but also in other parts of India. This helps those who work away from home or are registered at a place where they don’t belong,” he explained.
He said during his official tours, he would interact with Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries. “Sadly, that is not possible these days but I did have a great telephone interaction with Pooja Thapa from Meghalaya, the beneficiary number 1 crore,” he said. The Prime Minister shared the audio clip of the conversation in which Thapa, a soldier’s wife, explains about the surgery she underwent in Shillong using the Ayushman Bharat facility. Her husband is posted in Manipur and could not be with her due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Her two small children are being taken care of by the neighbours. On being asked by the Prime Minister, Thapa said she did not have to pay for the surgery and the medicines. She said without the scheme card, she would have found it difficult to go for the surgery without a loan. Over 2,000 undergoing treatment for COVID-19 under AB-PMJAY: NHA: OVER 2,132 patients have availed or are currently undergoing treatment for COVID-19 under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY) in the country, the National Health Authority (NHA), which is responsible for implementing the scheme, said on Wednesday. Responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Union Ministry of Health has made testing and treatment for the coronavirus infection free under the insurance scheme for its 53 crore beneficiaries. More than 21,565 hospitals, including private hospitals, have been empanelled under the programme so far, the NHA said in its statement. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Rajasthan have emerged as the top performing States, providing the highest number of treatments under the scheme, it said. Orthopaedics, cardiology, cardio-thoracic and vascular surgery, radiation oncology and urology have remained as the top specialities under which treatment is sought.
Treatment packages like single stent (medicated, inclusive of diagnostic angiogram), hip fracture internal fixation and rehabilitation, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), double stent (medicated, inclusive of diagnostic angiogram) and total knee replacement have emerged as the top tertiary procedures, the statement said. Meanwhile, as the number of ‘Ayushman Bharat’ beneficiaries crossed one-crore mark, the BJP on Wednesday said that the health insurance scheme has not only brought healthcare closer to the people but has also provided a Rs five-lakh cover to minimise the financial risks arising out of major diseases.
“PM Narendra Modi’s flagship programme to ensure health for all, Ayushman Bharat, has crossed 1 crore beneficiaries in less than two years. I am grateful to the PM’s leadership for this success in making a giant step towards a ‘Healthy India’,” party President J P Nadda said. He said that people were grateful to the doctors, nurses, health workers and para medical staff for their endless effort and dedication in making this programme a success. “Their commitment has helped us to make affordable, accessible healthcare a reality for all,” Nadda added.