As many as six crore people from 1.18 crore families of Uttar Pradesh will be benefited by free medical treatment under a health insurance scheme named ‘Ayushman Bharat National Protection Mission’. The scheme will be launched in the country on Sunday. The scheme was announced by the Centre in the Union budget for 2018-19 in February and took around six months’ time to complete the process of implementing it.

In UP, six crore people will be entitled for the health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and get free medical facility in private and government hospitals. Most beneficiaries will be from the socially and economically backward sections. Families included in Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 are the targeted social group under the health insurance scheme.

In UP, state and district level committees have been constituted and have been asked to expedite the process of enlisting hospitals for implementation of the health scheme.

UP Health minister Sidharthnath Singh held camps in government hospitals in Lucknow to make health officials, para medical staff and beneficiaries aware about the scheme.

Chief Secretary Anoop Chandra Pandey said in Lucknow on Saturday that the process to implement the scheme had been completed and it would be launched on Sunday. Pandey added that to facilitate beneficiaries, ‘Ayushman Mitras’ would be appointed in each district to help patients in availing facilities under the scheme like identification of beneficiary, pre-authorisation of treatment package and assist them in admission to hospitals. The Ayushaman Mitras will be paid an monthly honorarium of Rs 5,000 each and Rs 50 as incentive on each beneficiary of the scheme. 

The Chief Secretary also directed Health department officials to ensure that ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadi Kendra’ were opened in each district where medicines at rates lower than the market were available to the common man. So far, such kendras have opened in 62 districts.