Delhi Health Minister says NO to Ayushman Bharat in the capital

''It has been implemented in UP-Haryana but why are patients being sent from there to here? What will come out of it, if it's implemented in Delhi? The population of Delhi is two crores, 10 Lakh people will benefit. We won't do this,'' Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said.

New Delhi:  Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain has recently stated that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will not implement Centre's flagship programme 'Ayushman Bharat Yojana' popularly known as Modicare.

Talking to reporters, Mr Jain, who was on an inspection of the GTB hospital during which he met patients and took information about their health, the minister said,'' We will provide health facility to 100 per cent population here.

We won't pick and choose. That isn't needed in Delhi, both poor and rich will receive treatment. It’s the responsibility of the Delhi government to provide treatment to all residents of Delhi.''

''It has been implemented in UP-Haryana but why are patients being sent from there to here? What will come out of it, if it's implemented in Delhi? The population of Delhi is two crores, 10 Lakh people will benefit. We won't do this,'' he said.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which provides coverage up to Rs five lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation, was launched last September, but Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal refused to implement it.

''First, Central government needs to provide the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Around 70 per cent of patients are coming here from Uttar Pradesh.

We will not differentiate between rich and poor. We will not allow this yojana as government hospitals and medical check-ups are for all,'' he said.

''They just implement such policies on papers.

The ground reality is different.

If the policy was implemented, people from Uttar Pradesh would have been treated in their state,'' Mr Jain added.