Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday criticized the state governments in Delhi and West Bengal for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme, thus preventing elderly citizens from accessing its benefits. While launching healthcare development projects and extending the Ayushman Bharat scheme to senior citizens aged 70 and above, Modi remarked that the governments of Delhi and Bengal had refrained from implementing the scheme for political reasons.
It was conveyed by the Prime Minister that apologies were extended to the elderly in both regions, as the scheme could not serve them due to the unwillingness of their respective governments to participate. “The tendency to oppress the sick people of one’s own state for political interests was deemed against humane principles,” he noted.
Modi highlighted the impact of Ayushman Bharat, with around 4 crore citizens having benefited from the health insurance scheme. The Prime Minister recalled a time when individuals had to sell assets to afford medical care and stated that such challenges inspired the creation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Initiated in 2018, the Ayushman Bharat scheme offers an annual coverage of ₹5 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. Despite its benefits, the scheme has been opposed in Delhi and West Bengal, where local governments opted for independent initiatives, with concerns expressed over the Centre’s role in funding and recognition.