PM: Ayushman Bharat effected revolution in public healthcare

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Tuesday that Ayushman Bharat, which was launched on this day in 2018, has effected a revolution in public healthcare, ensuring financial protection and dignity for its beneficiaries.

The medical insurance scheme provides annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh and covers the poor and all senior citizens above the age of 70.

Modi said on X, “Today we mark 7 years of Ayushman Bharat. This was an initiative that anticipated the needs of the future and focussed on ensuring top quality as well as affordable healthcare for people. Thanks to it, India is witnessing a revolution in public healthcare. It has ensured financial protection and dignity.”

He added, “India has shown how scale, compassion and technology can further human empowerment.”

An official handle, tagged by Modi, said the government’s showpiece welfare initiative covers over 55 crore citizens and lauded it as the “world’s largest health assurance scheme”. Over 42 crore Ayushman cards have been issued so far, it added.

It has led to the government’s health expenditure rising from 29 per cent to 48 per cent, while out-of-pocket cost dropped from 63 per cent to 39 per cent, it added. “Millions of families saved from financial ruin during illness,” it said.

When illness strikes, it shouldn’t mean financial ruin, the statement

said, claiming that the scheme has protected more than six crore families from poverty every year.