"Ayushman Bharat, a failed scheme": AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj

New Delhi [India], October 29 : Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday questioned the effectiveness and impact of the central government's Ayushman Bharat Scheme, labelling it as a failed initiative that falls short of its promise to provide free healthcare for the poor.
The Delhi Health Minister highlighted the success and efficacy of the Delhi Government's healthcare programs, which offer comprehensive, free treatment for all residents without any financial caps.
Raising pressing concerns about the limitations of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, 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 anyone is injured in any accident, the injured is provided free treatment in any of the private Hospitals for free," shared the Delhi Health Minister.
The AAP leader invited the BJP leaders to visit the government hospitals in Delhi claiming that almost 50 per cent of patients who are admitted in these hospitals belong to BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh.
"We invite all Media people and BJP to visit Delhi Government Hospitals like GB Pant and GTB Hospital where almost 50 per cent of patients who are admitted in these hospitals belong to BJP-ruled states like UP. BJP should answer why poor patients from UP, Rajasthan, and Haryana (all of them BJP-ruled states) are travelling 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?" he said.
The Delhi Minister reasoned that the fact that nearly 50 per cent 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 the 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 Bharadwaj.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized to all the elderly people above 70 years of age in Delhi and West Bengal, due to the state government's decision not to participate in the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and said that the walls of political interests have hindered its implementation in their states.
Addressing the inauguration of various health projects at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in the national capital on the occasion of 9th Ayurveda Day, PM Modi said that the national health scheme aims to provide comprehensive coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for hospitalization.
"I apologize to all the elderly people above 70 years of age in Delhi and all the elderly people above 70 years of age in West Bengal that I will not be able to serve you. I apologize to them that I will know how you are, I will get the information but I will not be able to help you and the reason is that the government in Delhi and the government in West Bengal are not joining this Ayushman Yojana. Elderly in Delhi, Bengal won't be able to benefit from Ayushman Bharat as their governments not implementing it for political reasons," the PM said.
"The tendency to oppress the sick people of your own state for your political interests is against any humane attitude and hence I apologize to the elderly people of West Bengal, I apologize to the elderly people of Delhi, I can serve the people of the country, but the walls of the political profession are preventing me from serving the elderly people of Delhi, and West Bengal," he said.
Delhi and West Bengal are among the states where the Centre's Ayushman Bharat Yojna is not implemented.
He further said that the world is seeing India as a big centre of medical and wellness tourism.
Notably, the Ayushman Bharat Yojna is a scheme which aims to procure free access to health insurance coverage for families with low incomes. The scheme was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.