First Phase Of Ayushman Bharat Scheme In Delhi To Kick Off Tomorrow

The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is set to kick off in the national capital on Thursday as the Rekha Gupta-led government will start providing health cards to residents after registering them under the scheme.

Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh, in an interaction with IANS, stated that a total of 2.60 lakh residents in the national capital have been enlisted as beneficiaries in the first phase, and they will get their Ayushman Health cards over the next 40-42 days.

"About 400-500 people will get Ayushman Bharat card on Day 1," he stated, while slamming the previous AAP administration for denying the city residents, what was long due to them.

"Previous government had blocked the Central healthcare scheme for its myopic political interests. The people of Delhi remained deprived of the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana but now, they will be entitled to receive all benefits, as any other citizen of the country," said the Delhi Health Minister.

He also told IANS that a seamless system has been put in place for enrollment of beneficiaries, release of funds under the scheme and added that adequate steps taken to block the middlemen from any interference.

"As soon as a beneficiary gets himself/ herself registered, his/ her details will be updated on the portal, and they will also receive message on their mobile phones," he said.

Notably, Delhi's Health and Welfare department recently signed an MoU with the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for the scheme roll-out.

With this, Delhi became the 35th state/ UT to implement the AB PM-JAY scheme, leaving West Bengal as the only state to be out of its purview.

After the agreement, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta also announced that the state government will provide an additional top-up of 5 lakh over and above the 5 lakh cover, as provided by the Centre.

"Around 6.54 lakh families in the city will now be able to reap benefits from AB PM-JAY, with the card distribution for the scheme to be initiated from 10th April onwards," the Delhi Chief Minister pointed out.

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