Wed Oct 30 08:19:25 UTC 2024: ## Aam Aadmi Party Accuses BJP of Ayushman Bharat Scam, Claims Scheme is Only “On Paper”

**New Delhi:** The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, claiming it is riddled with corruption and exists primarily on paper.

AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar alleged that while the scheme boasts of 26,000 empanelled hospitals, a significant number, around 7,000, are merely listed but non-functional. Additionally, she asserted that 4,000 hospitals have not admitted a single patient under the scheme.

Citing a letter from the Indian Medical Association of Haryana, Kakkar claimed that the government has not paid dues to hospitals, leading to a suspension of treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The lack of payment, she said, was due to the Modi government’s budget cuts.

Kakkar highlighted the influx of patients from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to Delhi government hospitals, suggesting the Ayushman Bharat scheme is not effectively serving those in need. She further contrasted the scheme with Delhi’s healthcare model, claiming it offers free treatment regardless of cost, while Ayushman Bharat limits coverage to a specific income bracket and a maximum of 5 lakh rupees per family.

The AAP spokesperson also pointed to the success of Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics, which have provided healthcare to 7.5 crore people in the last eight years.

PM Modi, during the inauguration of health projects at the All India Institute of Ayurveda on Tuesday, apologized to elderly people in Delhi and West Bengal for their exclusion from the Ayushman Bharat scheme due to state governments’ decisions.

Arvind Kejriwal, AAP national convenor, hit back at PM Modi, emphasizing the comprehensive free healthcare offered by the Delhi government, regardless of treatment cost.

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