GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched the ambitious 'Ayushman Asom' scheme in line with the Central government's 'Ayushman Bharat' to offer health coverage to 26.00 lakh families in Assam.

As per the newly launched scheme, each entitled family member will get cashless medical treatment up to Rs 5.00 lakh in empanelled hospitals across the country.

Launching the project, the Chief Minister said that "Beneficiaries listed under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) who have an Aadhar card and are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana shall be eligible for benefits under the Ayushman Asom." The inclusion of 26 lakh uncovered families in Ayushman Asom, will guarantee that all economically vulnerable families in the state are covered by one of the health insurance programmes offered by the federal or state governments. Sarma claimed that out-of-pocket healthcare costs put a significant dent in the well-being of many families,  Sarma  said. 

The Chief Minister said  that more Below Poverty Line (BPL) families have been included under the National Food Security Act in Assam as a result of the 2011 socioeconomic census results.

According to the Food Security Act, almost 56 lakh families currently have ration cards. Ayushman Bharat is providing health insurance to 30 lakh of these families. The remaining 26 lakh families have been included by the state government in the cashless programme, according to Sarma.

He also said that in the coming months, another 5 lakh ration cards would be distributed, and the families of those recipients would then be included in the "Ayushman Asom" programme.

In Assam, 300 accredited institutions offer 1,578 different medical procedures to patients. Additionally, patients can choose to receive their medical care without paying for it in hospitals located in neighbouring states where Ayushman Bharat is in operation, Sarma continued.

The Assam government's Ayushman Asom programme, however, won't operate in states where the Ayushman Bharat programme is not implemented.

The Chief Minister added that the current state government, which he leads, has prioritised improving the healthcare industry as one of its goals. He asserted that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences' recent inauguration in Changsari, coupled with the opening of other new medical schools and hospitals throughout the state, will bring about a never-before-seen improvement in the state's healthcare system in the days to come.

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