Kolkata, August 16: The central government’s health insurance initiative, Ayushman Bharat, was officially launched in West Bengal on Sunday. This scheme will provide coverage for treatment of 1,950 types of illnesses, including the opportunity for knee replacement surgeries. Previously, the Trinamool Congress government had offered knee replacement under its health partner scheme, but it faced allegations of irregularities and was temporarily halted. It was later resumed under certain conditions. Now, the benefits of knee replacements are being reintroduced through the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The official launch of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state took place at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and State Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee were present, along with Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel. Additionally, a new Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme has been introduced for those left out of the central government’s health insurance program. The government has also initiated the establishment of centers for affordable medicines and medical supplies in state-run hospitals. The ‘Amrit Pharmacy’ will be launched in ten government hospitals and health centers, offering medicines at discounts of 50 to 80 percent. For this initiative, the state government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Benny Joseph, the Technical Director (Operations) of Hindustan Life Care Limited.
During the previous Trinamool government, there were frequent complaints regarding the services provided under the health partner scheme. Patients and their families often faced difficulties in securing hospital beds. Following the change in government, a dual health insurance scheme has been introduced for the people of West Bengal, combining the central Ayushman Bharat scheme and the state Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that approximately 14.3 million families would benefit from the Ayushman Bharat scheme, equating to around 60 million residents of the state. Every resident over the age of 70 will also be eligible for this scheme. Additionally, 8 million residents will benefit from the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme. Under these two newly launched schemes, medical services will be available across 38,604 hospitals nationwide.
The Chief Minister highlighted the inclusion of knee replacement services in both the Ayushman Bharat and Chief Minister’s Health Insurance schemes. He noted that while the previous government’s health insurance scheme covered 1,700 illnesses, the new initiative will cover 1,950.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme was initiated by the Narendra Modi government in 2018. However, it could not be implemented in West Bengal during the previous state government’s tenure due to opposition from the central government.
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