Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Sunday launched the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) aimed at providing health coverage of upto Rs 5 lakh per family annually, benefitting 15.50 lakh poor and needy families in the state.
He also announced to further expand the scope of the scheme to accommodate additional category of beneficiaries under the scheme including those who were jailed during emergency period and who played an active role during Hindi Andolan.
Manohar Lal announced this while addressing a state level function organized at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College in Karnal. Governor Satyadev Narain Arya and Health Minister Anil Vij were also present on this occasion.
Earlier, the Chief Minister dedicated Health and Wellness Centre at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Salwan and also inaugurated the auditorium of Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College at Karnal.
The Chief Minister said that, initially the beneficiaries of eight categories included in the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC)-2011 data would be benefitted under the scheme. As the economic condition of the people might have changed during these years and they could not become the part of SECC-2011 data, more categories would be added to cover maximum beneficiaries under the scheme, which included about 5.5 lakh workers who are registered under the Haryana Labour Welfare Board, people belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL).
Those who were jailed during emergency period between the year 1975-1977 to whom the State Government is already giving monthly pension of Rs 10,000, people who played an active role during Hindi Andolan and those who served in the Indian National Army (INA) formed by Subhash Chandra Bose during the second world war will also be included under the scheme, he said.
He said that in the recent times the medical treatment especially in the private healthcare institutes has become more costly. In cases of severe diseases, the people are forced either to sell their belongings or get heavy loans for treatment. The scheme would provide respite to such people as each eligible family would get annual cover of upto Rs 5 lakh irrespective of number of people in a family, he added.
Manohar Lal said that golden e-cards would be provided to the beneficiaries of the scheme. The entire SECC data of families is available online and till the time they get these cards, Iris recognition and biometric identification of beneficiaries would be conducted for extending benefit under the scheme, he said adding that 230 hospitals including 72 government and 158 private hospitals have been empanelled in the state.
Apart from this, 184 Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Mitra has been recruited in these empanelled hospitals to assist those visiting the hospitals for treatment, he added.
The Chief Minister also said that Health and Wellness Centres are being opened in the PHCs to make aware the people about various diseases and what preventive measures should be taken and other issues like cleanliness and hygiene.
He said that 12 wellness centres has so far been opened in the state and this number would be increased to 30 by November 1. A target has been set to open 300 wellness centres in the state, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya appreciated the Chief Minister for implementing various schemes and programmes for the welfare of people belonging to all sections of the society.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also presented a cheque of Rs 21,000 to Mausami Devi, a resident of Karnal’s village Ghisarpuri, who became the first beneficiary under the Ayushman Bharat Yojna in the state.