The central government led by Shri Narendra Modi Ji has been on headlines for launching various policies and schemes. The welfare of women, children and all the marginalized group is a major concern today. Just before few months to the next Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch his government’s ambitious national health protection mission. Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission now renamed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (PM-JAY) from Prabhat Tara ground in Ranchi, Jharkhand. This scheme covers Rs five lakh per family annually, benefiting more than ten crore low-income families.
Free and Cashless Medical Facilities
PM-JAY’s implementing body, National Health Agency (NHA), has covered approximately 50 crore citizens who would avail to free and cashless medical facilities up to Rs 5 lakh per year for over 1,350 diseases in more than 10,000 private and government hospitals. The government aims to increase the number of hospitals to 20,000.
Every assigned hospital under Ayushman Bharat scheme be it private, or the government will have an ‘Ayushman Mitra’. He will assist in the seamless processing of paperwork for the person seeking treatment. More than Eight crore rural families and two crore urban low-income families will benefit from the scheme. The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission’s eligibility is based on Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data of 2011.
A New Era Of Progress Through Ayushman Bharat
It is estimated to cost Rs, 12,000 crores. The scheme will fully operate from September 25, on the birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyay. The Centre and States would bear the cost in 60-40 ratio.
Under this scheme, 57 lakh families in Jharkhand and 1.8 crore families in Bihar will be benefited. The union government had identified over 25 lakh families in Jharkhand but Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das added another 32 lakh and agreed to bear the additional cost of Rs 540 crore.
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The Jharkhand government is ready to sign an MOU with National Insurance Company which will provide up to one lakh rupees while compensating the claims. Another four lakh compensation is by Rajya Arogya Samiti, especially for the purpose.
Free Health Treatment
Going down the base, Under the scheme, people will be able to seek free treatment in 210 hospitals in the state, the state’s health department said, that another 338 private hospitals have applied for the empanelment. Bihar’s health minister Mangal Pandey says that around 1.8 crore families in the state will benefit from Ayushman Bharat, out of which 99.58 lakh live in rural areas. The state government has formed ‘Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti’ as a nodal agency to implement the scheme.
Implementing the Scheme is a Big Task
Implementing the scheme at such large scale is itself a huge task. In a state like Bihar and Jharkhand where more than half of the population is poor. There are 6712 doctors for more than ten crore population in Bihar itself.
The situation is much worse in Naxal and jungle-infested Jharkhand. Here at least 994 specialized doctors are required against the present strength of 45.1,015 health centers. Out of designated 1538 centers are still under construction.