Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday will launch health coverage for citizens above 70 years of age under the AB-PMJAY (Ayushman Bharat). The Union Cabinet approved the extended health coverage of Rs 5 lakh to the age group on September 11.
According to the govt, senior citizens with age equal to or greater than 70 will get lifetime health coverage of Rs 5 lakh irrespective of income. The step will benefit 6 crore senior citizens of 4.5 crore families.
Benefits of Scheme
The people under the concerned age category will be issued a distinct card. It is pertinent to note that Rs 5 lakh is the top-up cover for people aged 70 or above and will be separate from that the family is already getting under Ayushman Bharat. This means that elderly people will not be required to share their coverage with the members of their families.
Additionally, the senior citizens who are availing benefits of private policies or Employees’ State Insurance scheme can also take benefit of the scheme.
Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) beneficiary can also avail the benefit of Ayushman Bharat’s extended cover for people aged 70 or above.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant must be a permanent resident of India and at least 70 years of age.
Currently, the scheme is being rolled out in 33 states/UT except Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal.
All citizens, equal or above 70 years of age.
How to apply?
Eligible people can avail of the benefits of the scheme by registering on the PMJAY portal or the Ayushman app. Senior citizens who already have the Ayushman card will also have to make a fresh application and complete their eKYC for a new updated card.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday lay the foundation stone of multiple projects related to the health sector worth around ₹12,850 crore.
The projects will be announced at the All India Institute of Ayurveda on Dhanvantari Jayanti and 9th Ayurveda Day.
HT reported on October 24 about the prime minister launching multiple health projects on October 29.
The projects to be launched include expansion of health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
Also Read: PM Modi to inaugurate projects worth over ₹4,800 in Gujarat on October 28
He will also launch the U-WIN portal benefitting pregnant women and infants by fully digitalising the vaccination process as it will ensure timely administration of life-saving vaccines to pregnant women and children (from birth to 16 years) against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
PM Modi will also launch a portal for allied and healthcare professionals and institutes that will act as a centralised database of existing healthcare professionals and institutes.
Several initiatives to strengthen the R&D and testing infrastructure to improve the healthcare ecosystem in the country will also be launched.
PM Modi will inaugurate a Central Drugs Testing Laboratory in Gothapatna in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
“It has been the constant endeavour of the Prime Minister to provide quality healthcare services all across the country. In a major boost to healthcare infrastructure, the prime minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple healthcare institutions,” read the government statement.
The prime minister will inaugurate phase II of India’s First All India Institute of Ayurveda which includes a Panchakarma hospital, an Ayurvedic pharmacy for drug manufacturing, a sports medicine unit, a central library, an IT and start-ups incubation centre and a 500-seat auditorium among others.
In addition, he will inaugurate facility and service extensions at AIIMS in Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, Kalyani in West Bengal, Patna in Bihar, Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Guwahati in Assam and in New Delhi, which will also include a Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
The foundation stone will be laid of five Nursing Colleges in Shivpuri, Ratlam, Khandwa, Rajgarh and Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh; 21 Critical Care Blocks at Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan under Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), and several facilities and service extensions at AIIMS in New Delhi and in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.
“Prime Minister has been a strong proponent of expanding the usage of technology to enhance service delivery across sectors. In an innovative usage of drone technology to enhance service delivery to make healthcare more accessible, the Prime Minister will launch drone services at 11 Tertiary Healthcare Institutions”, the press release said.
Four Ayush Centres of Excellence: Centre of Excellence for diabetes and metabolic disorders at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Centre of Excellence in sustainable Ayush for advanced technological solutions, start-up support and net zero sustainable solutions for Rasaushadhies at IIT Delhi; Centre of Excellence for fundamental and translational research in Ayurveda at Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow; and Centre of Excellence on Ayurveda and Systems Medicine at JNU, New Delhi will also be launched.
“In a major boost to Make in India initiative in the healthcare sector, Prime Minister will inaugurate five projects under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices and bulk drugs at Vapi in Gujarat, Hyderabad in Telangana, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh. These units will manufacture high-end medical devices, such as body implants and critical care equipment, along with important bulk drugs,” read the statement.
