PM Modi launches health cover plan for citizens aged 70+
PM Modi expanded health coverage for seniors 70+ under Ayushman Bharat, criticizing Delhi and West Bengal for not implementing the scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the expansion of health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the government’s flagship Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) apart from other projects related to the health sector with an aggregate cost of ₹12,850 crore.
The expansion of the scheme is significant as it will help provide health coverage to all eligible senior citizens regardless of their income.
The PM, however, hit out at the Delhi and West Bengal governments for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of “political interests” and said he was pained that the elderly from these two states could not avail themselves of free treatment under the expanded programme.
“Most of us come from a background where illness meant a lightning strike on the entire family and, especially in a poor household if a person is down with a serious ailment, every member of the family was deeply affected… to overcome the despair of the poor, our government introduced the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, where the government would bear the cost of hospitalisation of the poor up to ₹5 lakh,” said Modi.
“… about 4 crore (40 million) poor people in the country have benefited from the Ayushman Yojana by getting treated without having to pay a single rupee. When I meet the beneficiaries of Ayushman Yojana in different states of the country, I feel satisfied that the scheme was a blessing for every person associated with it, be it a doctor or someone on the paramedical staff.”
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Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal rejected the PM’s allegation and told him not to do politics on the issue of health care. “Under the Delhi government’s scheme, every person living in Delhi gets complete treatment free of cost no matter how much it costs... I request you to study the Delhi model and instead of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, implement the Delhi model all over India so that people can benefit on the ground,” he said in a post on X. West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) dismissed the Prime Minister’s allegations. “The PM made baseless claims for political reasons before the six assembly bypolls in our state. We have our Swasthya Sathi scheme which offers the same benefits. Instead of worrying about our health care, he should release the Centre’s share of funds for various social welfare projects,” state cabinet minister Shashi Panja said.
Modi added that every elderly person above 70 years of age in the country will get free treatment in hospital by showing an Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card. While distributing the card to three new beneficiaries from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Uttarakhand, the PM highlighted that the card was universal and there was no restriction on income, be it low or middle or high.
Modi also launched the U-WIN platform which will provide India with a technologically advanced interface in the health sector.
“The world witnessed the success of our Co-WIN platform during the pandemic, and the success of the UPI payment system has become a global story; India aims to replicate this success in the health care sector through digital public infrastructure,” he said.
The projects were announced at the All India Institute of Ayurveda on the occasion of Dhanvantari Jayanti and the 9th Ayurveda Day.
Modi underlined that in the past decade, the country had witnessed the beginning of a new chapter in the health sector with the amalgamation of the knowledge of Ayurveda with modern medicine.
He said the All India Institute of Ayurveda had been a focal point of this chapter, and seven years ago on Ayurveda Day he was fortunate to dedicate the first phase of the institute to the country and with the blessings of Lord Dhanvantri, he was inaugurating the second phase of the institute.
Modi noted that it would be possible to see ancient techniques such as Panchakarma (therapy to remove toxins from the body) infused with modern technology in the institute along with advanced research studies in the fields of Ayurveda and medical science.
He highlighted the government’s priority to the health of its citizens and outlined the five pillars of the health policy. He listed the five pillars as preventive health care, early detection of ailments, free and low-cost treatment and medicines, availability of doctors in small towns, and expansion of technology in health services.
“India is looking at the health sector as holistic health. The projects of today provide a glimpse of these five pillars,” he said.
The PM expressed happiness with several hospitals being established for the treatment of shramiks (manual labourers) and touched upon the inauguration of pharma units that would play a key role in manufacturing of advanced medicines and high quality stents and implants to further India’s growth.
Modi also mentioned the launch of at least 14,000 PM Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country where medicines are available at 80% discount. He informed that the poor and middle class have managed to save ₹30,000 crore due to availability of cheap medicines, adding that prices of devices such as stents and knee implants have been reduced, therefore, preventing a loss of at least ₹80,000 crore.
The PM highlighted the unprecedented progress made in India’s health care sector over the past decade, contrasting it with the limited achievements in the previous six to seven decades.
“In the last 10 years, we have seen a record number of new AIIMS and medical colleges being established,” he said. Nearly 100,000 new MBBS and MD seats were added over the past 10 years, he said.
Modi also underlined the importance of validating traditional herbs ashwagandha, turmeric, and black pepper through high-impact scientific studies.
“Lab validation of our traditional health care systems will not only increase the value of these herbs but also create a significant market,” he said, pointing to the rising demand for ashwagandha, which is projected to touch $2.5 billion by the end of this decade.