Status: Not ApprovedHEAD: 24_Del_AR_Abhinav Rajput CM Byline: Abhinav RajputDelhi cabinet extends ayushman health coverage to widow and disability pension beneficiariesTNNThe Delhi Cabinet decided to extend health coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to widow pension beneficiaries and persons with disabilities receiving govt pensions, bringing nearly 5.5 lakh additional families under the Ayushman umbrella.Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said approximately 3,96,615 widow pension beneficiaries and around 1,31,515 beneficiaries under the disability pension scheme will directly benefit. Their families will also be eligible to avail benefits under the scheme.The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister at the Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday. Gupta described the move as a historic and transformative step in strengthening health security in the national capital, adding that it brought direct and meaningful change to the lives of lakhs of needy families.She reiterated that the govt is firmly committed to ensuring that no poor, vulnerable, or needy citizen of Delhi is deprived of medical treatment due to financial constraints. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), she said, is the country’s largest health protection scheme, and the Delhi Govt took a significant step to make it more effective and inclusive.With this decision, the newly covered families will be in addition to those already included under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household categories, senior citizens above 70 years of age, ASHA workers, and Anganwadi workers and helpers. Gupta said the scope of health protection in Delhi will expand in an unprecedented manner.Calling the move a step towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive development, she said Ayushman Bharat ensured health security for crores of poor families across the country, and the Delhi Govt remains committed to extending its benefits to every eligible individual in the capital.According to govt data, 7,23,707 Ayushman cards have been issued in Delhi so far, including 2,74,620 to senior citizens. A total of 208 hospitals—156 private and 53 govt—have been empanelled. More than 29,120 beneficiaries received treatment through the State Health Agency in Delhi. MSID:: 128755151 413 |
