‘Will bring Raj healthcare model in India if Cong wins 2024 polls’

WAYANAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hailed the healthcare programme for the poor initiated by the Rajasthan government, saying if the party secures power at the Centre post the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, similar initiatives will be rolled out nationwide.

Gandhi highlighted the disparity in healthcare access, noting that those with financial means can access quality treatment in big hospitals, while those lacking financial resources face significant challenges when dealing with illnesses.

Addressing the audience after the inauguration of a new block at a private hospital in Sulthan Bathery, located within his Lok Sabha constituency, Wayanad, the Congress leader said that the biggest victims of medical tragedies are often poor people and stressed the need for a reevaluation of healthcare at the national level.

“I travel around India quite a lot and I notice that the biggest victims of medical tragedies are poor people. Because if you have money you can always get treatment in a good hospital,” hesaid. He said that the Union government should prioritise providing affordable healthcare to the poor as a fundamental guarantee.

“We have done some work on this in Rajasthan and hopefully if we come to power in 2024, we will try and implement these types of ideas across the nation,” Gandhi said.

The Congress party has hailed its Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme in Rajasthan as a “model” for the entire country, asserting that increasing the medical coverage to Rs 50 lakh would provide significant relief to both the poor and the middle class.

During the Rajasthan Assembly poll campaign, Jairam Ramesh had praised the scheme as a boon for the people of Rajasthan. The party considers the ‘Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme’ as the best free treatment scheme in the country, with a promise to raise the coverage to Rs 50 lakh if re-elected.