By Shereen Bhan Aug 15, 2018 3:05:20 PM IST (Updated)
Ayushman Bharat, popularly known as NaMo-Care, is pegged as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most ambitious healthcare reform.
Ayushman Bharat, popularly known as NaMo-Care, is pegged as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most ambitious healthcare reform.
Modi is likely to take a note of the program in his Independence Day speech on August 15.
The plan seeks to extend health insurance to 50 crore people from financially vulnerable households, meaning that about four in ten Indians would have access to modern medicine, critical care, and quality tertiary care through private and state facilities — financed through a Rs 5-lakh per family insurance cap.
However, there are a few challenges. Firstly, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) expressed its disappointment with the package rates offered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. They believe that the low rates are ''unacceptable'' and would put patients at risk as the quality of treatment would be compromised.
The NITI Aayog has now stepped in to mediate between the IMA and the Ayushman Bharat Mission. That’s not all, although most states have agreed to come on board, they will have to face challenges on execution. Moreover, subsuming individual states' schemes with the Ayushman Bharat scheme is bound to have its own sets of administrative hiccups.
Indu Bhushan, CEO of Ayushman Bharat Mission spoke at length about the issues in an interview with CNBC-TV18.
“Honourable Prime Minister had review meeting last week, on (August 4), and he went through the whole preparation process what we have done so far and we are ready for rollout whenever we are told to,” said Bhushan.
Taking about the states which are on board, he said, “28 states are on board right now and 8 states which have not signed up yet, many of them are on the verge of signing and they are states where necessary approvals have been done and it’s just a question of going ahead and signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU).”
Bhushan said that over 25,000 wellness centers are approved and about 5,000 are running already.
"We hope a lot more wellness centers will be operational by year-end," he added.