Ayushman Bharat scheme: A look at the challenges ahead of the launch on September 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially announced the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPS) in his Independence Day address. Under this scheme, which will be launched on September 25, all eligible individuals will receive a free cover of Rs 5 lakh.

With less than a month-and-a-half left to its launch, there are many challenges as the deadline is close and target ambitious. The scheme’s CEO Indu Bhushan said close to 7,000 hospitals have applied to be empanelled.

The magnitude of the scheme is another problem point as it aims to provide healthcare to 10 crore families. The availability of hospital beds in Tier II and III cities and rural areas will be challenging.

While 10 states and Union Territories have been selected for the pilot run, Bhushan said a full roll-out, which will bring in about 50 crore Indians in 40 days, will be a tough task.

“We have, from the hospitals that have come on-board, 60,000 beds,” he told BloombergQuint. He estimates that at least 2 lakh beds will be required if the scheme is to run at full capacity.

Bhushan said pricing of health packages is another problem. The Indian Medical Association has questioned the viability of providing healthcare at the proposed low costs and this has been a ‘bone of contention’ as well.

Lack of uniformity of hospital procedures and protocols for doctors are among the other challenges.

The success of the scheme would also depend on how supply-deficient Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and the north-eastern states implement the scheme, Chandrakant Lahariya told BusinessLine. Lahariya wrote a research article in Indian Paediatrics Journal about Universal Health Coverage about the proposed insurance scheme.

“In India, capacity of states to run insurance schemes is lowest where these are needed most,” he added.