To curb the economic challenges in getting COVID-19 treatment faced by its citizens, Telangana government will be adopting the ambitious Ayushman Bharat Scheme. However, it should be noted that 3 states are still to implement the scheme. Who are these states and how did Telangana come around to finally adopt the scheme, let’s find out.
Details
On Tuesday, the Telangana’s State Health Department signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre’s National Health Authority, finalizing the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Under the new deal between the Centre and the state of Telangana, State government’s COVID-19 patients, their oxygen supply and the cost of their essential medicines will be covered by the Centre. It should be noted that Telangana had already agreed to implement the scheme in December, 2020, but never signed the MoU till yesterday, May 19.
According to reports, Telangana’s State Medical & Health Departments laid down the guidelines for the scheme. CM K. Chandrashekar Rao directed all the concerned officials to make sure that the citizens of the state can avail the services according to the guidelines.
After the issued directives, the Medical & Health Principal Secretary Rizvi stated-
“The CEO Aarogyasri Health Care Trust is directed to ensure that treatment of patients in empanelled hospitals across the State is taken up as per the converged scheme of Ayushman Bharat-Aarogyasri with immediate effect.”
The decision to sign the pact came after it was announced that BJP State President Bandi Sanjay Kumar a 3-hour fast for the demand of implementation of the scheme by the State Government. Kumar’s demand also included treatment of COVID-19 patients in the Aarogyasri scheme. Kumar had earlier called BJP party leaders and workers and announced the “Gareebolla Kosam BJP Deeksha” (roughly translated to- BJP fast for poor) from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at their residences.
States Yet to Implement Ayushman Bharat Scheme:
1) West Bengal
Mamata Banerjee’s TMC has always locked horns with the BJP ruled centre and has over the years discredited and rejected Centre’s plans and schemes. In January, 2019, the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee withdrew West Bengal from the list of states that availed the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Banerjee claimed that PM Modi had ignored all the contributions the state had made and was taking all the credit.
“Modi is sending letters to people across Bengal through Post Offices, claiming that they are behind this health scheme. They are doing politics and using government offices (Post Offices) for party work. I would like to remind him that under Ayushman Bharat scheme, we are bearing 40 per cent of the total cost while rest (60 per cent) is taken care of by the Centre. Then, why he is sending letters to the people through post offices with his photographs saying that they have done everything? Let them take all the credit. From today, I am withdrawing ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme from Bengal,”
-West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said.
Later, in October 2020, CM Banerjee said that the state will readily accept the scheme if the Centre bears 100% of the cost.
“I do not have any problem if the central government wants to implement the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme in West Bengal. We have already launched the ‘Swasthya Sathi’ programme. Now, they want to implement ‘Ayushman Bharat’. They are most welcome to do so, but we won’t contribute towards it with any fund. Let them bear 100 per cent cost for the scheme,”
-said the TMC leader.
2) Odisha
The Odisha State Government has its own Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana in place, a health-care scheme for the state’s citizens that was launched before the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat. In January 2020, The Odisha govt approached the Centre and asked 2 changes to be made in the scheme’s before it could be implemented.
The Odisha state govt has sought that the Centre not make Aadhar Card compulsory for patients who want to avail the service and take treatment at government hospitals. Further, the state also asked the Centre to increase the beneficiary coverage to 70 lakhs from the already decided 62 lakhs for treatment at private hospitals under the scheme.
3) Delhi
On March 23, 2020, the Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia finally announced that the state government will implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme for Delhi citizens in 2020-21 that will provide a health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family each year. However, according to National Health Authority data, Ayushman Bharat has not yet been implemented in the state.
