Ayushman Bharat Scheme: Delhi govt yet to decide on signing Mou with Centre

NEW DELHI: The implementation of the Centre's ambitious Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme in the Capital hangs in balance as the Delhi government is yet to take a call on signing an MoU with the Centre over it.

The Delhi government has not yet given its approval for being part of the health insurance scheme which aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually and benefit more than 10 crore poor families across India.

According to Director General Health Services Kirti Bhushan, the draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) sent by the Health Ministry is still being examined. However, it is expected that the Health Protection Scheme will not face any obstacle due to lack of paramedical staff and medicare facilities.

As far as the healthcare infrastructures are concerned, Delhi is known as the best Health mission, especially in terms of government hospitals as well as private hospitals across the country.

Last week, Delhi government finalised almost 426 Mohalla clinics sites while 187 Mohalla clinics are functional across the city at present. It was apprised by the health department in a review meeting.

The department submitted to the Chief Minister that out of the 190 operation theatres, 171 were fully functional. So, a total of 90 percent operation theatres are in fully functional state in the government hospitals across the city.

The Centre has three premier hospitals All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS), Safdarjung Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia hospitals, while Delhi government maintains more than 39 hospitals.

"The central government is taking into account the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data of 2011 to ascertain the beneficiaries under the scheme. Going by that, in Delhi, only 30 lakh people can be covered under this data," Bhushan said.

"This population is much less than the 1 crore and 80 lakh population," he said, adding that the Delhi government is also working towards implementing its own health insurance scheme.

Bhushan also said that the Health Ministry should include the National Food Security card holders for providing benefits under the programme as doing that would take the number beneficiaries to over 1 crore.

"However, no final decision has been taken over the matter and we have not refused to be a part of it. The draft MoU sent by the Health Ministry is still being examined," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, said his government would launch the ambitious Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme

on September 25.