Ayushman Bharat a ‘scam’, AAP steps up attack on PM

Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday intensified its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark on non-implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme in the Capital.

Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj termed the Central health insurance scheme a “failed” initiative. Kejriwal alleged that the scheme was riddled with scams, citing the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.

The remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Delhi and West Bengal Governments for not implementing the scheme during a launch, inauguration and foundation stone laying of multiple projects at the All-India Institute of Ayurveda on Tuesday.

Urging the PM to study Delhi’s healthcare model and consider implementing it nationwide, Kejriwal said, “The Delhi Government’s health scheme provides free treatment worth up to Rs 1 crore, along with medicines starting at just Rs 5, with no admission restrictions.”

“The Ayushman scheme offers coverage up to Rs 5 lakh, but only if you are hospitalised. In contrast, Delhi’s healthcare model ensures free treatment for all, whether for OPD or IPD services,” he added.

“In Delhi, if someone requires surgery costing Rs 20 lakh, we cover it fully. If someone visits a mohalla clinic, their entire treatment is free. How can we even think of stopping such a system that brings affordable, effective healthcare to everyone?” he added.

Meanwhile, AAP’s chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, “Health is a very important issue for AAP. The AAP government in Delhi has presented a health model so effective that even former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised it. Meanwhile, PM Modi has introduced a scam-ridden scheme called Ayushman Bharat, which the CAG has also called out for its fraud.”

She said of nearly 26,000 empanelled hospitals, 7,000 exist only on paper. Additionally, 4,000 hospitals have not admitted a single patient under this scheme. Hospitals that did admit poor patients have now backed out because the PM Modi-led BJP government hasn’t paid them their dues, Kakkar added.

She added that the Indian Medical Association of Haryana raised this issue, informing the Central Government on February 29 that they would no longer admit patients under Ayushman Bharat if their dues remained unpaid. Citing the letter, she said the final line of their letter reads, “All pending payments must be cleared; otherwise, Ayushman cards will not be honoured from March 16, 2024.”

She added, “The Modi government has reduced the allocated budget for this scheme, limiting its benefits to the people. In contrast, over 50 per cent of patients in Delhi Government hospitals come from neighbouring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.”

Kakkar added that the Modi government’s national allocation for health under the National Health Mission is only 2.9 per cent of the budget, compared to the Delhi Government’s 16 per cent budget allocation for health.

“The Ayushman Bharat scheme only covers families with an income below Rs 10,000 per month, whereas Delhi’s health scheme has no such restrictions. If you own a refrigerator, TV, mobile phone, or scooter, you are excluded from Ayushman Bharat’s benefits,” Kakkar said.

Kejriwal’s statement baseless: L-G

New Delhi: Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday described former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s statement on Ayushman Bharat as baseless and an attempt at seeking publicity. In a lengthy response to Kejriwal, Saxena stated that he does not acknowledge the “baseless” claims made by the AAP supremo, who alleged that the scheme was riddled with “scams,” as stated not only by him but also by the Comptroller and Auditor General. “You have kept lakhs of people in Delhi deprived of this scheme until now, solely because its implementation may expose the truth behind the false health model you promote and your tendency to take false credit for everything,” Saxena said.

‘No admission restrictions in capital’

The Ayushman scheme offers coverage up to Rs 5 lakh, but only if you are hospitalised. In contrast, Delhi’s healthcare model ensures free treatment for all, whether for OPD or IPD services. — Arvind Kejriwal, AAP supremo