Gujarat to implement Ayushman Bharat programme: CM Rupani

Vadodara: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the state government will implement the Centre's Bharat Ayushman programme which is expected to roll out across the country this month.

The Ayushman Bharat- National Health Protection Scheme aims to provide over 10 crore poor families coverage upto 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

Rupani was speaking at Vadodara at a function to distribute 5,000 Mukhyamantri Amrutam cards to beneficiaries.

Under the Mukhyamantri Amrutam and Vatsalya Yojana, a state government scheme, people living below the poverty line are provided free medical treatment up to Rs 3 lakh in government as well as several private hospitals.

Rupani also asked legislators to launch "Jan Seva Yagna" (service-oriented camps) to provide free medical aid to members of Dalit and poor communities.

Deputy chief Minister Nitin Patel, speaking at the function, said that 64.06 lakh families, comprising 3.24 crore people, were covered under the Mukhyamantri Amrutam and Vatsalya Yojana.

He said that, as part of the scheme, medical assistance of Rs 1,700 crore had been provided 12.10 lakh people in the state.

This included 72,000 people in Vadodara district, Patel added.

Speaking about the Ayushman Bharat programme, Patel said that the state's latest Socio-Economic and Caste Census data would be considered to arrive at its beneficiaries.

Gujarat Speaker Rajendra Trivedi also spoke at the function which was organized by one of his local fan clubs.