Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday attend an event to distribute Ayushman cards to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana–Ma Amrutam (PMJAY-MA) scheme in Gujarat, an official said on Sunday.
Modi will join the programme organised in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar at 4 pm in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel via video conference, and will also interact with three beneficiaries, an official release said.
The Ayushman PVC cards (made of polyvinyl chloride material which can be carried easily) are to be distributed to more than 50 lakh beneficiaries under the PMJAY-MA scheme in Gujarat, the release said.
The Centre's PMJAY scheme of providing healthcare facilities to the economically weaker sections was integrated with Gujarat's Mukhyamantri Amrutam (MA) and Mukhyamantri Amrutam Vatsalya (MAV) healthcare schemes in 2019. As a result, all beneficiaries of the state schemes were eligible to get PMJAY-MA cards, the release said.
Since the integration of the two schemes, PMJAY-MA cards were issued to 1.58 crore beneficiaries in Gujarat, the state government said. "From September 2021 till date, more than 50 lakh cards have been issued under the chief minister's leadership. Newly printed Ayushman PVC cards will be given to these beneficiaries," the release said.
Gujarat's Minister of Health and Family Welfare Rushikesh Patel will attend the state-level programme. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will join the event virtually. The Ayushman PVC cards are being given to beneficiaries as per the National Health Authority (NHA) guidelines.
At least 50 lakh PVC cards have been printed in Gujarat and delivered to the respective chief district health officers/medical officers. The Ayushman PVC cards will be distributed at the village level, it was stated. Under the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, the world's largest health insurance scheme, health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh is provided per family, as per the government website.
After the announcement of the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY in 2019, the Gujarat government integrated the Mukhyamantri Amrutam and Mukhyamantri Amrutam Vatsalya schemes with it, and beneficiaries of these three schemes were issued co-branded cards under the PMJAY-MA.
(With PTI inputs)
