Soon, there could be an Ayushman Bharat Council in place to ensure greater participation of states in the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana, the Centre’s mega health scheme.
The Council, which will be formed on the lines of the GST Council, has been envisaged following complaints that states have no role in forming policies related to PMJAY, launched by the Narendra Modi government in 2018.
PMJAY, aimed at benefitting 50 crore people or 10 crore families belonging to the most vulnerable socio-economic categories in the country, promises free secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation worth up to Rs 5 lakh.
Sources in the National Health Authority said that in a recent meeting with states, their representatives raised concerns that their participation in policy-making should be greater as the scheme cost is shared between Centre and state in a ratio of 60:40.
“We have therefore decided to form a Council which will have sufficient representation from the states and will hold regular meetings where every policy decision will be discussed before being approved,” the NHA official said.
However, the official also added that though deliberations are on about the council’s composition and its mandate, its formation can be taken by executive order only after the formation of the new government as the model code of conduct is currently in effect.
The Council is likely to be headed by the NHA’s chief executive officer.
The scheme rolled out from Jharkhand in September 2018, has seen the distribution of nearly 2.7 crore cards to beneficiaries and 17 lakh admissions so far.