New Delhi: Ayushman Bharat A.K.A Modicare, globally the biggest government funded health protection scheme, has taken a life of its own and will transcend change in governments at the centre. No successive governments would be able to wish it away.
This is what became evident in 1st Summit on Ayushman Bharat organized on May 16 in Delhi. The stake holders congregating in the summit evinced great interest and seemed poised to take the plunge to make this globally the biggest government funded scheme a reality. Ayushman Bharat will benefit over 10 crore families or nearly 60 crore people with a government funded health insurance cover of INR 5lakhs per family every year.
Dispelling the doubt that Ayushman Bharat might prove a mere election rhetoric, Dr Vinod K Paul, Member, Niti Aayog, said, ‘ The unique health protection scheme is here to stay for all time. It is a path breaking and historic health protection program unveiled by PM Narendra Modi and is now indelible. No successive governments will be able to wish it away.’
Underlining the high and fine points of Ayushman Bharat, Dr Paul, the man who will call shots in the implementation of the ambitious scheme, said, ‘There is no going back on the mega healthcare protection scheme, which is the biggest ever revolution in healthcare sector. Thanks to this scheme, in 3-4 years, it will transform the Indian healthcare system. The light of health and wellness will reach every corner of India and will reach the last man in the socio economic ladder. It was the so far unmet need of people to which Modi government positively responded.’
Mincing no words, Dr Paul said, ‘Strict monitoring of the implementation of the mega project will be in place and no profiteering or cheating in the process will be tolerated. Beneficiaries would be automatically enrolled under the scheme based on SECC data (Socio Economic Cast Census). The beneficiaries would also be able to avail portability under the scheme and would be treated anywhere in the country with their home state paying for it.’
‘The government is committed to screen everybody in the country and creation of comprehensive primary healthcare system is going to be the most crucial component of the scheme making dream of healthy India a reality, he added. Dr Paul further said Ayushman Bharat is a comprehensive health and wellness mission. We do intend to provide financial protection for hospitalised patients through this but more than that we want it to be a mass movement at the primary healthcare level that will help India reap the rewards of its rich demographic dividend.
Ayushman Bharat Healthcare Summit (ABHS) was organised at Taj Diplomatic Enclave. The summit brought together all the stakeholders of Ayushman Bharat Program (ABP) like Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Niti Aayog, State Governments like UP to deliberate upon its design and implementation. Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was the Chief Guest on the occasion, while Sidharth Nath Singh (Health Minister, UP) was the Guest of Honour.
Mr Choubey firmly assured, saying ‘Ayushman Bharat is a people’s movement. It is through mass participation that we can make it successful and mass participation can only follow mass awareness.’
Stressing on the need for Summits like ABHS, Swadeep Srivastava, Founding Partner and Chief Belief Officer (CBO) India Virtual Hospital (IVH), said “Ayushman Bharat is poised to transform healthcare delivery in the country. This massive undertaking will be successful only with active participation of people from all walks of life. We at IVH and Business World believe that this can be achieved by creating conversations around this program which is exactly why we have assembled here today”.
Mr Sidharth Nath Singh, Minister of Health, Government of Uttar Pradesh said, “Ayushman Bharat is a dream comes true for health ministers across the country. It will certainly help us address imbalances at the primary and secondary healthcare levels. In fact, this scheme will go a long way in helping us realise our intent of delivering healthcare to the remotest corners of the state through more than 140 CHCs that we have recently set up under the PPP model.
The Summit is likely to come up with reliable, sustainable, accessible, and affordable designs, models and policies to implement ABP and bring quality healthcare at the door-step of every Indian by 2022.
