New Delhi: The Union government has provided about 35 lakh 'Ayushman' health cards to CAPF personnel and their families, and they can now avail cashless treatment at 24,000 empanelled hospitals across the country, Union minister Nityanand Rai said on Wednesday.
"There will be no limit for expenditure (under the scheme)," the minister of state for home affairs said after giving out the last 10 cards to personnel of each of the Central Armed Police Forces like the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and the SSB apart from the NSG and the Assam Rifles.
The distribution of so many 'Ayushman' CAPF cards is a "big achievement", the minister said, adding that the aim of the scheme is to ensure good healthcare for the personnel of these forces and
their families.
Rai said medical consultations and tests were earlier available only at force hospitals or other government hospitals or CGHS-empanelled facilities.
"Now under this scheme, medical facilities will be available on a cashless basis in about 24,000 empanelled hospitals of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and there is no limit on the expenditure incurred in this scheme.
"It will now become much easier for the kin of personnel of various forces who live in remote areas of the country to get treatment," the minister said.
This scheme will prove to be a milestone in the direction of a healthy and long life of the personnel of our CAPFs and their family members, he said.
The 'Ayushman' CAPF scheme is part of the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana', also called the 'Ayushman Bharat Yojana', which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23, 2018.
The scheme for the CAPFs was inaugurated for the personnel of the paramilitary forces and their families by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Guwahati on January 23 last year. Rai urged the chiefs of the CAPFs to ensure that the personnel are able to utilise the benefits of the scheme without any problems and said the home ministry should be informed in case of any
complaint or grievance.