Shimla: To implement ‘Ayushman Bharat’, a mega scheme to provide free health treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to people living below poverty line, MoUs were signed between five states and one UT with the National Health Mission, Government of India, here on Monday in the presence of Union health minister J P Nadda and Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and Uttrakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.Addressing Ayushman Bharat Northern Region’s first workshop on Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission (PMRSSM), Thakur said that ‘Ayushman Bharat’ was an innovative scheme launched by the Union government. He said that it was a big health insurance scheme that had the potential to bring revolution in the health sector in the country. He added that five such workshops would be held throughout the country to launch this ambitious scheme that would benefit over 10 crore families of the country and provide free treatment to about 15.31 lakh people living below poverty line in Himachal Pradesh.
Nadda said that ‘Ayushman Bharat’ was the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that with this scheme the weaker sections of society would be provided free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. He said that the treatment of all major ailments had been included in this mega scheme.
Trivendra Singh Rawat said Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand share similar topography and geographical conditions and providing healthcare facilities to patients in the remote areas was quite challenging. He said that for this all big hospitals were being developed as e-hospitals. Health and family welfare ministers of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir Brahm Mohindra and Davinder Kumar Maniyal, respectively, were also present.