Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the progress in preparations for launch of the ambitious National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), Ayushman Bharat, on Monday, and asked officials to ensure that it delivered benefits to the weaker sections of society. The NHPS, announced in the Union Budget for 2018-19, aims to provide insurance of Rs 5 lakh to each family and targets to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families.
“At a high-level meeting lasting over two hours, the Prime Minister was apprised of the work done by top officials of the PMO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the NITI Aayog for the smooth roll-out of the scheme,” according to an official release.
The Niti Aayog and the Health Ministry also held a meeting with state government officials recently to understand how they planned to implement the scheme. States are supposed to contribute 40 per cent of the annual outlay of an estimated Rs 10,000 crore for running the scheme. A decision on whether to run the scheme in the ‘trust mode’ or ‘insurance company mode’ also rests with states. The PM also reviewed preparations for delivering comprehensive primary healthcare through health and wellness centres.