Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Union Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan requesting him not to replace Delhi health scheme with Ayushman Bharat as it would affect residents of national capital adversely.
“A good health scheme is already implemented in Delhi. Stopping it and implementing another will not benefit anyone. If Delhi’s Health Scheme is stopped and Ayushman Bharat Yojana implemented, residents will be affected,” Arvind Kejriwal said in his letter to Harsh Vardhan.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also states in his letter that if the Union Health Minister sees something in Ayushman Bharat Yojana which is missing in Delhi’s health scheme then he can tell him. “It will be included in Delhi’s health scheme,” Arvind Kejriwal said.
Listing the ‘advantages’ of Delhi Health Scheme over Modi government’s flagship Ayushman Bharat Yojna, Delhi CM said that Delhi already enjoys a 10 times better scheme.
Ayushman Bharat scheme is available to only those with income less than Rs 10,000 per month, whereas the minimum wage of a daily labourer in Delhi is higher than that, Arvind Kejriwal argued in his letter, adding that the existing scheme extends health benefits to all 2 crore citizens of the national capital.
“Ayushman Bharat covers medical expenses upto Rs 5 lakhs, whereas Delhi government bears all the medical expenses, even if the bill runs up to Rs 30 lakhs or more,” the letter said.
In the letter, Delhi CM claimed that despite Ayushman Bharat Yojna, people from neighbouring states still come to Delhi government hospitals for health treatments.
Implementation of Ayushman Bharat has become another bone of contention between the Modi government at the Centre and Kejriwal government in Delhi.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has frequently accused Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government for the alleged failure to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme in the national capital.