He also attacked the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme in West Bengal and Delhi. He termed the political negligence of ailing citizens as inhuman.
While launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, or PM-JAY, health insurance for senior citizens, the Prime Minister said that people over 70 should get health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakhs every year. In addition, those already covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme shall be entitled to a top-up of ₹5 lakh. About 6 crore senior citizens are expected to benefit from this scheme nationwide.
There was a time when people used to sell their houses, lands, and ornaments to afford treatment. The soul of the poor used to shiver just thinking about serious illness expenditures. That helplessness used to tear one’s heart apart,” remembered Modi. Then, he underlined that through the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the countrymen should be rid of this pain: “Around 4 crore people have benefited so far under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.”.
However, he apologized to the elderly of Delhi and West Bengal for keeping them out of the scheme and blamed the “reluctance of the respective state governments” for doing so. “The tendency to oppress sick individuals for political gain fails the test of humanity,” he said, hinting that political obstacles were standing in his way of helping these less fortunate groups of people.
Ayushman Bharat is a cost-sharing scheme between the Centre and the state governments in a 60:40 ratio. West Bengal and Delhi have their own health insurance schemes and claim that their schemes are much better than the Center’s initiative.
He explained that preventive healthcare, timely intervention, affordable treatment and medicines, robust facilities with qualified doctors in smaller cities, and the use of advanced technology represent five elements of the cornerstone of any national health policy. He declared that India is taking an integrated approach to health. The Prime Minister launched several health initiatives worth ₹12,850 crore.
