HOME > MARKETS > ECONOMY NEWS
  ECONOMY NEWS
ECONOMY
Arvind Kejriwal hits back at PM over Ayushman Bharat, claims Delhi model better
Oct-30-2024

Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticisms over Delhi’s stance on the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, accusing Modi of politicizing public health in the capital.

Arvind Kejriwal claimed that every person living in Delhi gets complete treatment free of cost no matter how much it costs, 'from a pill worth Rs 5 to a treatment worth Rs 1 crore' and offered to share record of beneficiaries. He requested PM Modi to not politicise the issue of health and study the Delhi model and implement it across the country, instead of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, 'so that people can benefit on the ground.' Kejriwal also questioned the benefits provided under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and said that the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) has found several irregularities in it. 

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called the centre's Ayushman Bharat a ‘failed’ scheme. He said that poor patients from states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, where this scheme was implemented, come to hospitals in Delhi for surgery.

Kejriwal's response came after PM accused the Delhi and West Bengal governments for opting out of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, suggesting their decisions were driven by ‘political interests’ rather than public welfare.Modi also expressed disappointment over the lack of accessible healthcare for elderly citizens in these regions, calling it a ‘missed opportunity’ to serve seniors in need. PM apologized to senior citizens in Delhi and West Bengal, stating, ‘I hear your pain, but due to the state governments' decisions, I cannot help you’, while speaking at a public gathering at New Delhi.


  RELATED NEWS >>