Ayushman Bharat to boost health care infra: Industry

The health care industry today Ayushman Bharat, if properly implemented, has the potential to lift people out of poverty by reducing their out-of-pocket expenses and will strengthen health infrastructure.

Ayushman Bharat, the national health protection scheme, will provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year and benefit more than 10 crore families belonging to the poor and vulnerable sections of the society.

"The new National Health Protection Scheme has the potential to lift people out of poverty by reducing their out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures. However, there is a need for an effective implementation framework that includes appropriate participation from all stake-holders," said Arvind Lal, Chair, CMD, Dr. Lal PathLabs.

"The government's endeavour to roll out the transformational NHPS is an assurance to improve health of the nation's 40 per cent population vulnerable to catastrophic health expenditures," former president of Ficci Pankaj Patel said.

Under the centrally-sponsored scheme, touted to be the world's largest government-funded health care programme, it is proposed to set up the Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission Council (AB-NHPMC), chaired by the Union health minister, apart from establishing the AB-NHPM Governing Board.

"It is expected that the new health care programme will boost the health care infrastructure development and strengthen the health care workforce," said Alok Roy, Chairman, Medica Group of Hospitals.

Narottam Puri, Advisor, Ficci Health Services and Health Insurance Committee, said that "with NHPS, health care has come centre stage in terms of its social, economic and political influence; and therefore, there is optimism for a win-win result amongst all stakeholders.

The Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yesterday approved the launch of the AB-NHPM with a central sector component under the Ayushman Bharat Mission.

The AB-NHPM will target about 10.74 crore poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational category of urban workers' families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data, covering both rural and urban areas.

It is proposed to establish an AB-NHPM Agency to manage the AB-NHPM at the operational level in the form of a society.

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