Ayushman Bharat plan, wellness clinics launched
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the world’s largest public health insurance scheme from Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi on September 23. The scheme had been launched simultaneously in 476 districts across the country for the benefit of 10.74 crore families.
The prime minister also launched 10 wellness centres in the state, and laid the foundation of medical colleges in Chaibasa and Koderma.
Ayushman Bharat aimed to screen people aged 30 and above for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancers of oral cavity, breast and cervix at the primary level.
“Today, the focus of the entire nation is on Ranchi. In over 400 districts of the country, a similar event is taking place. Even the last person standing should get better health facility. More than 50 crore people will get insurance up to ₹5 lakh (each). This is the world’s first such scheme. No other country has a scheme like this. The number of people who are to benefit from this is almost equal to the population of the entire European Union. The number of beneficiaries would add up to a number equal to the combined population of America, Mexico, and Canada,” Modi said at a rally here, while launching the scheme.
JHARKHAND EXTENDS COVERAGE TO
57 LAKH FAMILIES
Meanwhile, Jharkhand became the first state that decided to cover all 57 lakh families enrolled under the National Food Security Act in the state under this scheme. The Centre had originally picked 25 lakh families from Jharkhand through the socio-economic caste census (SECC)-2011 data under the scheme. The Centre would bear 60% financial burden, while the state would pay 40% for those 25 lakh families. The Jharkhand government has decided to bear the financial burden of the rest 32 lakh families.
The Jharkhand government further plans to include all households under the Centre’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat. Once implemented, Jharkhand could become the country’s first state to provide health insurance cover to all its residents, said senior health officials after the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) to provide medical facilities to people in the state under Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
This health insurance scheme will cover the 57 lakh families enrolled under the National Food Security Act. However, the Raghubar Das government is considering adding the remaining 11 lakh families — those who are not enrolled under NFSA — to Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
The state government has chosen the hybrid model of the scheme, under which health cover of ₹1 lakh would be disbursed through the government-approved insurance company. Health claims above ₹1 lakh and up to ₹5 lakh would be disbursed through the trust mode by the implementation support agency, Jharkhand State Aarogya Society. NICL earlier serviced Jharkhand’s Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Bima Yojana, which has now been merged with Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.