PM Modi launches health insurance scheme for citizens above 70 years of age | Latest News India

Prime minister Narendra Modi On Tuesday, the expansion of health insurance to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the government’s flagship Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) began. ₹12,850 crore.

Expanding the program is important as it will help provide health insurance to all eligible senior citizens, regardless of their income.

However, the Prime Minister criticized the Delhi and West Bengal governments for not implementing this law. Ayushman Bharat He said he excluded the health insurance plan from “political interests” and regretted that seniors in these two states could not benefit from free treatment under the expanded program.

“Most of us come from a background where illness meant a lightning strike on the entire family, and especially in a poor household, if one is stricken with a serious ailment, every member of the family is deeply affected… We have launched the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, under which the government will bear the cost of hospitalization of the poor. ₹5 lakh,” Modi said.

“…About 4 million (40 million) poor people in the country have benefited from Ayushman Yojana by getting treatment without paying even a single rupee. “When I met Ayushman Yojana beneficiaries in different states of the country, I was convinced that the scheme is a boon for everyone associated with the scheme, be it doctors or healthcare personnel.”

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Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal rejected the Prime Minister’s claim and told him not to play politics on health. “As per the Delhi government’s scheme, everyone living in Delhi gets full treatment free of cost, no matter how much it costs… I request you to study the Delhi model and implement the Delhi model all over India instead of Ayushman Bharat Yojana. In a post on X, he said that people can benefit from the field. West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) rejected the Chief Minister’s allegations. “The Prime Minister has made false allegations for political reasons ahead of the six general elections held in our state. We have Swasthya Sathi plan which offers the same benefits. Instead of worrying about our healthcare, the Centre’s share of funds should be allocated to various social welfare projects,” said state cabinet minister Shashi Panja.

Modi added that every elderly person above 70 years of age in the country will get free hospital treatment by showing his Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card. While distributing the card to three new beneficiaries from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister emphasized that the card is universal and there is no restriction on income, be it low, medium or high.

Modi also launched the U-WIN platform, which will provide India with a technologically advanced interface in the healthcare sector.

“During the pandemic, the world witnessed the success of our Co-WIN platform and the success of the UPI payment system turned into a global story; “India aims to repeat this success in the healthcare sector with digital public infrastructure,” he said.

The projects were announced at the All India Ayurveda Institute on the occasion of Dhanvantari Jayanti and 9th Ayurveda Day.

Modi underlined that the country has witnessed the beginning of a new era in the healthcare sector with the combination of Ayurveda knowledge with modern medicine in the last 10 years.

He said that All India Institute of Ayurveda is the focal point of this department and he was fortunate to dedicate the first phase of the institute to the country on Ayurveda Day seven years ago and inaugurated this department with the blessings of Lord Dhanvantri. Second phase of the institute.

Modi noted that at the institute, it will be possible to see the blending of ancient techniques such as Panchakarma (therapy for removing toxins from the body) with modern technology, as well as advanced research studies in the fields of Ayurveda and medical science.

He underlined the priority the government attaches to the health of its citizens and outlined the five pillars of its health policy. He listed its five pillars as preventive health services, early detection of diseases, free and low-cost treatment and medicines, availability of doctors in small towns and dissemination of technology in health services.

“India looks at the healthcare sector as holistic health. “Today’s projects provide a glimpse into these five pillars,” he said.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness over the establishment of many hospitals for the treatment of shramiks (manual workers) and touched upon the inauguration of pharmaceutical units that will play a key role in the production of advanced drugs and high-quality stents and implants to propel India’s growth.

Modi also talked about the launch of at least 14,000 PM Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country where medicines are sold at 80% discount. Reported that the poor and middle class managed to save ₹30,000 crore due to availability of cheap medicines, he added, adding that at least one loss was prevented by reducing the prices of devices such as stents and knee implants. ₹80,000 crore.

The Prime Minister highlighted the unprecedented progress made in India’s healthcare sector in the last decade and compared it with the limited achievements made in the previous six to seven decades.

“We have seen a record number of new AIIMS and medical colleges being established in the last 10 years,” he said. He said around 100,000 new MBBS and MD seats have been added in the past 10 years.

Modi also underlined the importance of validating traditional ashwagandha, turmeric and black pepper herbs with high-impact scientific studies.

Pointing to the increasing demand for ashwagandha, which is expected to reach 2.5 billion dollars by the end of this decade, he said, “Laboratory validation of our traditional health care systems will not only increase the value of these medicinal herbs, but also create a significant market.” .