In a clarion call, AAP National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged Prime Minister Modi to prioritize the health and well-being of citizens by moving beyond the contentious Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Citing a CAG report that points out significant discrepancies in the Ayushman Bharat, the AAP Supremo emphasized the efficacy of Delhi’s healthcare initiative, which provides comprehensive treatment to all residents, regardless of cost. “It is imperative that we refrain from politicizing health issues,” he stated, calling for a national adoption of the Delhi model in the interest of public welfare.
AAP National Convenor and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement regarding the Ayushman Bharat’s implementation in Delhi. The AAP Supremo posted on his ‘X’ handle: “Prime Minister Sir, It is not right to speak wrongly on the issue of people’s health. It is not right to politicize this. Under the Delhi government’s scheme, every person living in Delhi gets the complete treatment free, no matter how much it costs—from a five-rupee pill to a crore rupees treatment, the Delhi government provides free treatment for every person. If you say, I will send you the names of millions of people who have benefitted from it.”
“Did people benefit from Ayushman Bharat Yojana? The CAG found many glitches in the Ayushman Bharat scheme. In the states where the Ayushman scheme is implemented, till date I have not met a single person who has been treated in Ayushman Bharat. I request you to study the model of Delhi and apply the Delhi model all over India instead of the Ayushman Bharat scheme so that people benefit on the ground,” reasoned the AAP Chief.
Meanwhile, Raising pressing concerns about the limitations of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that under Ayushman Bharat, poor patients often face the burden of paying for their treatments once the Rs 5 lakh limit is exhausted, even in government hospitals.
“By contrast, Delhi Government hospitals offer unlimited free treatment, ensuring that no patient has to worry about financial constraints for their care. From tests to medicines, all healthcare services are provided without charge. If any one is injured in any accident, the injured is provided free treatment in any of the private Hospitals for free,” shared the Delhi Health Minister.
Delhi: A Healthcare destination for patients from BJP-ruled States
Inviting the Media persons and BJP leaders, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj asserted, “We invite all Media people and BJP to visit Delhi Govt Hospitals like GB Pant and GTB Hospital where almost 50% patients who are admitted in these hospitals belong to BJP ruled states like UP. BJP should answer why poor patients from UP, Rajasthan, Haryana (all of them BJP ruled states) are traveling 100s of KMs to Delhi to get free treatment at Delhi Govt Hospitals. Why are these poor patients not getting the free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme?”
The Delhi Minister reasoned that the fact that nearly 50% of patients admitted in Delhi Government hospitals come from BJP-ruled states shows that the Ayushman Bharat scheme has not delivered on its promises. In theory, Ayushman Bharat should cover these patients in local facilities. So why do they need to seek free treatment in Delhi?
“The Ayushman Bharat scheme is a complete failure. There are dozens of private Hospitals in Noida and Ghaziabad, as per Ayushman Bharat scheme, poor patients of UP should get free treatment and surgeries in these private Hospitals,” he added.
“If patients get free treatment in these hospitals, why will UP patients travel to Delhi and get treatment in Delhi Govt Hospitals ? There are dozens of big private hospitals in Faridabad and Gurugram, why are they not treating patients of Haryana for free under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme?” noted Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.
