The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government has signed a Memorandum (MOU) with the Center to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the national capital. The agreement signed on Saturday is an important step towards increasing the reach of healthcare in the city and was part of the BJP's election manifesto before the recent assembly elections.
With this step, eligible families in Delhi will now get an annual health insurance coverage of up to ₹ 10 lakh-₹ 5 lakh provided by the Center and will contribute an additional contribution of ₹ 5 lakh as the top-up by the Delhi government.
On this occasion, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said that I believe this is a historic day. The imagination that Modi ji thought was nine years ago, is being implemented in the capital today. When I went to PM Modi with a scheme of one lakh, he said, Nadda ji think something big. Then such a big plan came. This is not an insurance scheme.
He said that there were about 10 crore 47 lakh families. This is 40 percent of India's population. All poor people have been added to it. The Prime Minister gave such a health cover of five lakhs to such people. The expenditure from the common man's pocket on health has reduced a lot. 62 percent of the money which was earlier spent on health has come to 35 percent.
He said that six and a half lakh families will get the benefit in the MoU signed today. There will be six lakh people above 70 years. Meaning 36 lakh people will get its benefit in Delhi. He said that earlier a rote was planted, the central government is not helping us. Injustice is happening to the people of Delhi. Today the people of Delhi made you sit home, then the people of Delhi got the benefit of Ayushman Yojana.
He said that Kejriwal's important deprived the people of it, we were saying, take it, then your nose used to come in the middle. How much damage this important people did to the people of Delhi. Saurabh Bhardwaj had filed a case in the court that this scheme should not be implemented in Delhi. Today the people of Delhi also excluded him. This finger has great strength. If the right place is pressed, then the Ayushman scheme comes out and if the wrong place is pressed, then the liquor comes out.
He said that the kiosks of the Mohalla Clinic were made. The Government of India is giving five lakhs and when we came to release the manifesto, we said that the Delhi government will give five lakh rupees. It was implemented today in 43 days. Say this is India or not.
Delhi has become a 35th state or union territory to adopt Ayushman Bharat Yojana. The agreement between the Delhi Government and the National Health Authority (NHA) was formally given, which is the central body responsible for the management of the scheme. Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta were present at the signature ceremony. The decision to start this scheme was taken during the first cabinet meeting of the newly elected BJP government, which was held on February 20 soon after the swearing in of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and his Council of Ministers. The party has returned to power in the capital after more than 26 years.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme provides completely free and cashless medical treatment in 1,961 processes and 27 features. This includes coverage for eligible families living in hospital without any direct cost, drugs, clinical trials, surgery, ICU care and other important health services.
