Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expanded the scope of the flagship healthcare scheme – Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) – to geriatric population, aged above 70 years; while he attacked the Bengal and Delhi state governments for their failure to come on-board the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

According to Modi, governments across Bengal and Delhi were not implementing the scheme due to political reasons. Targeting the Trinamool Congress (in Bengal) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he called their approach “inhumane”

“I am sorry to say that elderlies – those aged 70 years and above – in Delhi and Bengal will not be able to get benefits of the scheme. The ruling parties there are not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme for political reasons. This tendency to oppress ailing people for political reasons does not stand the test of humanity,” he said during the launch of various healthcare projects.

“I can serve the people of this country, but the walls of political interests are preventing me from serving the elderly people of Delhi and West Bengal,” Modi added.

Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme – which promises an annual coverage of up to ₹500,000 per family for secondary and tertiary healthcare – the Centre and state government share the insurance premiums in a 60 – 40 ratio.

Delhi and Bengal have their own parallel health insurance schemes and have not integrated it with the Centre’s. Odisha – previously not on-board – has now decided to come ahead and implement the Aysuhman Bharat healthcare scheme too.

Some 4 crore people have benefitted from the Aysuhman Bharat scheme, as per Union Health Ministry officials.

This apart, the Prime Minister also launched, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple projects related to the health sector worth around Rs 12850 crore.

Reiterating the government’s priority to reduce the cost of treatment, the Prime Minister mentioned the launch of more than 14,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (generic medicine pharmacies) across the country where medicines are available at 80 percent discount. Savings are to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore as people look at these as alternatives to costly branded pharma products.

According to Modi, the prices of medical devices, including stents and knee implants have been reduced with benefits of nearly Rs 80,000 crore accruing to common citizens.

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