‘Won’t apply Centre’s health scheme in Delhi’: Delhi health minister

The scheme provides health insurance cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family under the economically weaker section.

Delhi health minister Satyender Jain on Tuesday reiterated the government’s position of not implementing the central government’s health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, in its hospital citing poor implementation in neighbouring states.

Jain’s comment comes a day after Dr Harsh Vardhan took charge as Union Health Minister and said he will focus on implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme across India. (HT Phot)

The scheme provides health insurance cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family under the economically weaker section.

Jain’s comment comes a day after Dr Harsh Vardhan took charge as Union Health Minister and said he will focus on implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme across India.

“First, the central government needs to provide the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Around 70% of patients in Delhi come from Uttar Pradesh. Modi ji(Prime Minister Narendra Modi) did nothing there. If the policy was implemented properly, people from Uttar Pradesh would have been treated well at hospitals in their state,”Jain said after an inspection visit in GTB Hospital.

“Second, we cannot differentiate between the rich and the poor,” he added. “Our responsibility is to provide treatment to all residents of Delhi equally. Delhi’s population is 20 million, it will be applicable on 1 million people [who come under the economically weaker section bracket]. There is no need to pick and choose. We will treat every patient in Delhi.”

Also on Tuesday, cabinet ministers in the Aam Aadmi Party government conducted a number of inspections and surprise checks across the city. Jain was one of them.

While deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia conducted surprise checks at government schools in Prashant Vihar, Jauntipur, Ghevra and Nithari villages, transport minister Kailash Gahlot visited the transport authority office in Sarai Kale Khan. During his inspection drive in Delhi’s LNJP Hospital, labour minister Gopal Rai directed the hospital authority to clear pending salaries of the employees in three days or face action, senior government officials said.

Delhi’s social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam visited various offices under the social welfare department and a primary school for children with hearing impairment in Rohini sub-city, a senior official said.