New Delhi: Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday expressed his “apology” to the senior citizens of Delhi and West Bengal for not being able to provide them the benefits of Ayushman Bharat as the governments in these states have refused to implement the welfare scheme. He inaugurated and launched health sector projects worth ₹12,850 crore.
Speaking at a program organised to mark the 9th Ayurveda Day here, the prime minister said a nation’s growth is directly proportional to the health of its citizens. He underlined that there are five pillars of his government’s health policy: preventive healthcare, early detection of ailments, free and low-cost treatment and medicines, availability of doctors in small towns and expansion of technology in health services. The aim is to look at the health sector as holistic health.
Modi said around four crore people have benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme in which treatment up to ₹5 Lakh is provided free of charge. He also referred to BJP‘s Lok Sabha election promise that if the party gets a third consecutive term then the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card will be launched, through which out-of-pocket expenditure on health will be reduced to a great extent. However, the people of Delhi and West Bengal have been deprived of this benefit.
“I apologise to the elderly people of West Bengal and Delhi. Though I can serve the people (of the rest of the) country, I cannot serve the people of Delhi and West Bengal due to the walls of politics,” Modi said.
