Delhi starts Ayushman Bharat Yojna, know how to register

After signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the national capital, the Delhi government on Thursday signed another MoU with the Centre for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), which was launched in October 2021 to ensure that the public health infrastructure effectively manages future pandemics and outbreaks of diseases. Ayushman cards were also distributed to 30 AB-PMJAY beneficiaries representing different socio-economic profiles of the population of Delhi on the occasion.

Union health minister JP Nadda, Delhi chief minister Rrekha Gupta, Delhi health minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh and other city ministers were present on the occasion.  Taking a dig at political opponents, Mr Nadda said the ruling parties that did not implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme in their states were voted out of power and asserting that it is West Bengal’s turn next. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta was also present on the occasion.

Mr Nadda said the AB-PMJAY is the world’s largest health-coverage programme under which 62 crore people are currently being benefitted. “It is a moment of pride that 36 lakh people in Delhi will be benefitted by the AB-PMJAY now,” he added. “With the implementation of the AB-PMJAY in Delhi, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, will be covered under the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana”, said union health minister, adding that 8.19 crore people have already availed treatment under the scheme and the government has spent a total amount of Rs 1.26 lakh crore for the same. Of the beneficiaries, 19 lakh were downtrodden people who could not have afforded these treatments without the Ayushman Bharat health coverage, he said.

Highlighting that three states had refused to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Mr Nadda said, “One was Odisha, where the previous government fell and the lotus (the BJP’s poll symbol) bloomed. The second one was Delhi, where the government was voted out of power and the lotus bloomed. Now, only one state — West Bengal — remains. There too the lotus will bloom and the government would be ousted”.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief minister Ms Gupta said health has always been a priority for the BJP-led Centre. “Besides improving health infrastructure and making quality and affordable medicines accessible to the masses, Prime Minister Modi has always laid stress on nutrition, yoga, meditation etc., which shows the emphasis being given to the health sector,” she said.

Ms Gupta informed that “for the NCT (National Capital Territory) of Delhi, an amount of Rs 1,749 crore has been approved for the establishment of 1,139 urban ayushman arogya mandirs (AAMs), strengthening of 11 integrated public health laboratories (IPHLs) and nine critical care blocks (CCBs) under the PM-ABHIM during the scheme period”. She said the AAMs would provide better health services than the mohalla clinics set up by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.