The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP in Chhattisgarh traded charges over health schemes introduced by the respective party governments.
The Congress termed the opposition of the BJP to its proposed Universal Healthcare Scheme as an alternative to Prime Minister’s flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme as unfortunate.
The party claimed its Chhattisgarh government achieved in just over a month what the BJP government could not in 15 years.
Notably, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday participated in a national convention on health for all, organised by an NOG in Raipur.
In the convention, Rahul lauded the universal health scheme the Chhattisgarh government planning to roll out and said that right to health would be included as a key poll promise in the party’s manifesto for the upcoming general elections.
BJP state president Vikram Usendi reacting over the Congress’s health scheme said the party was deceiving people in the name of universal health care.
Usendi claimed that the Congress government in Chhattisgarh had silently stopped the Ayushman scheme in the state.
“The Congress government is contemplating to implement universal health care. Meanwhile, hospitals in the state have stopped providing treatment under the Ayushman and smart card schemes causing unnecessary inconvenience to patients and their family members,” Usendi stated.
The Congress hit back at the allegation blaming the previous BJP governments for the current healthcare scenario in the state.
“The BJP government never gave priority to health services and that is the reason why there is lack of facilities in government hospitals and primary heath centres, on which around 85% of the state population depend,” said state Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla. According to Shukla, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel already made a provision of Rs 500 crore for the universal healthcare scheme in the state budget and very soon doctors and medical staff will be appointed in government hospitals.