NEW DELHI: West Bengal on Monday became the 36th and the last state to implement the Central government’s flagship programme Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM-JAY), the world’s largest health assurance scheme.
An MoU for its implementation in the state was signed between the National Health Authority (NHA), under the aegis of the Union Health Ministry, and West Bengal’s Department of Health and Family Welfare.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Health Minister JP Nadda and CM Suvendu Adhikari. Taking a dig at the former chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, who is in Delhi to attend the INDIA bloc meeting, Nadda said, “She is here today. You must have seen her. When I requested her to implement the PM-JAY scheme, she said, ‘hobe na, hobe na’ (won’t happen, won’t happen). See what has happened to those who said ‘hobe na, hobe na’ and to those who said ‘hobe, hobe (will happen)”
Describing the occasion as “historic,” Nadda said beneficiaries under the scheme have availed over 12 crore treatments worth more than Rs 1.82 lakh crore, providing substantial financial protection to poor and vulnerable families.
He noted that one of the most significant outcomes of the government’s efforts has been the reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare, which has declined from 64.6% before 2018 to 43.4% today.
Six crore people senior citizens aged 70 years and above covered under the Vay Vandana New Beneficiary families, 67, 105 ASHA, 1,19,481 Anganwadi Workers (AWW) and 1,19,481 Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AWH) will be covered.