Launching a big election-driven project Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a State Government-sponsored health-insurance scheme for all.
Releasing a digital health card for the citizens the Chief Minister said the scheme would commence from December 1 and could be availed by all the citizens. “Be it an old person or a child, men or women, rich or poor, villager or townsman, Hindu or Muslim, Dalits and tribal or upper caste, everyone will be covered by this scheme,” Banerjee said urging the people to get their names enlisted in the project christened Swasthya Saathi. “Earlier, we had decided to enroll at least 7.5 crore people under 'Swathya Sathi'. I am announcing today that every family in the State will get it.”
Apparently hitting two birds in a shot Banerjee also said that the scheme would be in the name of the eldest woman of the family so that it would help the women’s empowerment cause.
“You will get a digital health card but the card will be in the name of the Griha Kartri (women head of the family) so that this project leads to women’s empowerment too,” Banerjee said adding the scheme like the previous ones had become an instant hit worldwide.
The scheme will benefit the people of Bengal who get free treatment in about 1,500 private hospitals in the State, Banerjee said.
The scheme was officially launched by Banerjee in December 2016 as a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs five lakh per annum per family. Now it will cover everyone for every disease.
Soon after coming to power in 2011 the Chief Minister had implemented two major schemes like Sabooj Saathi and Kanya Shree --- winning worldwide acclaim. In the first case the Government provide free cycle to the school students facilitating their mobility and helping them reach schools far away from their homes. Kanya Shree on the other hand provided Rs 25,000 to every girl crossing the age of 18.
It is another matter however the Left Front claimed that the schemes were launched by their Government in a miniscule project and was later hijacked by the Trinamool Congress Government.