Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 7 (HBTV): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has inaugurated Medanta Hospital in Sector 50, Noida, highlighting the expansion of access to free healthcare in the state through government-backed schemes.
Addressing the inauguration event, the Chief Minister said initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana had made quality healthcare more accessible to economically weaker sections. ‘Today the world has progressed a lot, and in accordance with today’s demands, we cannot keep ourselves behind in providing the best health facilities. Eight to ten years ago, it was a difficult task for a poor person to get treatment, but in the last six to seven years, under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, work is being done to provide free health services of INR 5 lakh per year to around 50 crore people across the country. In Uttar Pradesh, we have expanded its scope,’ he said.
Ayushman Bharat, a flagship scheme of the Government of India, was launched following the National Health Policy 2017 to move towards universal health coverage. The Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was launched on September 23, 2018, and aims to provide health insurance cover for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to poor and vulnerable families across the country.
The scheme offers health cover of INR 5 lakh per family per year and targets more than 10.74 crore families, accounting for nearly 50 crore beneficiaries. Beneficiary households are identified based on deprivation and occupational criteria under the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 for rural and urban areas. The programme is fully funded by the central government, with implementation costs shared between the Centre and the states.
Earlier in the day, Yogi Adityanath, along with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, conducted an on-site inspection at Jewar Airport and held a review meeting. The airport, officially named Noida International Airport, is a major greenfield project near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh and is expected to serve the Delhi National Capital Region. (ANI)