Around 36 lakh eligible citizens in the Capital are set to benefit with the Delhi government signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the city, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Saturday.
“With around 30 lakh people belonging to 6.54 lakh families and an estimated six lakh senior citizens, about 36 lakh people in Delhi will benefit from the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) scheme,” said Nadda while addressing an event to mark the signing of the MoU between National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of NCT, Delhi.
With this, Delhi is 35th on the list of states or union territories implementing the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. The state health authority will begin the distribution of Ayushman Bharat cards for the scheme from April 10 onwards, said officials.
Across the Capital, 46 private hospitals and 34 government hospitals, which were earlier providing Ayushman Bharat service through the National Health Authority (NHA), have been empanelled with the health authorities concerned in the city.
According to officials, the scheme will be implemented under a trust-based model where a 60:40 ratio will be shared between the state and Rs 5 lakh coverage will be provided additionally by the state.
The scheme provides free and cashless treatment for 1,961 medical procedures across 27 specialities, covering the costs of medicines, diagnostic services, hospitalisation, ICU care, surgeries and more. Eligible families in Delhi will receive an annual health coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh — Rs 5 lakh from the Centre and the same amount as a top-up from the Delhi government.
Addressing the event where the MoU was signed, Nadda said his party implemented the scheme within 43 days of government formation in Delhi. “Arvind Kejriwal was playing with the health of the people of Delhi,” he said.
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“This is the result of wrong decisions that he is sitting at home. Kejriwal’s ego refused the scheme for the Delhiites,” he added.
The implementation of the national health scheme in the Capital was among the BJP’s key poll promises in the run-up to the Assembly polls.
Insisting that the AB PM-JAY is not an insurance scheme, it is an ‘assurance’ scheme built on trust, he said, “AB PM-JAY is the first scheme to bring 50 crore people under its ambit based on economic caste census.”
Nadda said 36 lakh frontline health workers, including ASHAs and Angadwadi workers, were brought under this scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojna to cover both health and life insurance.
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Among the beneficiaries, the out-of-pocket expenditure has declined from 62% in 2014 to 38% today owing to AB PM-JAY, he said.
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