Wed Oct 30 06:12:32 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Health Minister Slams Ayushman Bharat, Claims Scheme Fails to Deliver on Promises

**New Delhi:** Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has launched a scathing attack on the central government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme, calling it a “complete failure” that has failed to provide free healthcare to the poor as promised. Bharadwaj highlighted the success of Delhi’s own healthcare programs, which offer comprehensive and unlimited free treatment to all residents, including those from other states.

Bharadwaj pointed to the fact that nearly 50% of patients admitted to Delhi government hospitals are from BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. He questioned why these patients are travelling hundreds of kilometers to Delhi for free treatment when they should be receiving it under Ayushman Bharat in their own states.

“There are dozens of private hospitals in Noida and Ghaziabad. As per the Ayushman Bharat scheme, poor patients of UP should get free treatment and surgeries in these hospitals,” Bharadwaj said. “If patients get free treatment in these hospitals, why will UP patients travel to Delhi and get treatment in Delhi government hospitals?”

He also criticized the scheme’s ₹5 lakh limit, arguing that it leaves patients burdened with medical expenses once the limit is reached, even in government hospitals. “Delhi Government hospitals offer unlimited free treatment, ensuring that no patient has to worry about financial constraints for their care,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized to elderly people in Delhi and West Bengal for their inability to benefit from Ayushman Bharat due to the respective state governments’ decision not to participate in the scheme. He attributed the lack of implementation to “walls of political interests.”

The Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched in 2018 to provide free health insurance coverage to families with low incomes. However, the scheme has faced criticism for its limited coverage and implementation challenges.

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