BJP lauds eight years of Ayushman Bharat scheme

The BJP on Wednesday lauded the eight years of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, saying more than 60 crore beneficiaries across all 36 States and Union Territories are receiving annual health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) was launched on September 23, 2018, to provide cashless hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care. It is the financial protection component of the broader Ayushman Bharat programme. The programme also includes Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which seek to strengthen comprehensive primary healthcare, along with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.

In a post on social media, BJP national president Nitin Nabin said the scheme, launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has opened a new chapter in making healthcare security more accessible to citizens across the country. “Through Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, more than 60 crore beneficiaries across all 36 States and Union Territories are receiving annual health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh,” he said.

He said more than 1.86 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country have also brought over 500 crore healthcare visits closer to communities.

“Ayushman Bharat continues to move forward with the vision of a healthier citizen and a stronger Bharat,” Nabin added.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said beneficiaries under the scheme do not have to pay for treatment up to Rs 5 lakh and described the initiative as a major welfare measure of the Narendra Modi Government. He said more than 13 crore hospital admissions have taken place under the scheme and claimed that the figure is “globally number one”.

“This is welfare. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s impact,” Bhandari said in a post. Bhandari also said more than Rs 2 lakh crore have been spent under the scheme, claiming that it showed the impact of the Modi Government’s development initiatives on the ground. He contrasted the scheme with the healthcare system under previous Congress Governments, saying people earlier had to pay for their treatment and did not have access to Ayushman cards. “Today, eight years of Ayushman Bharat have been completed. Till Rs 5 lakh, zero money, all health insurance by the Government of India,” Bhandari said.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh said the scheme has given crores of poor and needy families access to better healthcare facilities and provided them financial security during medical emergencies.

“With the resolve that families should not be forced to mortgage their homes or sell their fields to bear the cost of treatment during difficult times, Ayushman Bharat has emerged as a historic initiative towards health security,” Chugh said in a post. He said the health cover is providing economic security and strong support for needy families to receive treatment with dignity.