New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, hailed the achievements of India’s healthcare sector, emphasising that the nation has worked hard to provide “affordable and accessible” healthcare services through government schemes like Ayushman Bharat.

Taking to X with the hashtag #12YearsOfSwasthBharat, PM Modi said: “Over the last 12 years, India has worked to make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible.”

“We feel proud when we are known as the nation with the world’s largest healthcare programme, Ayushman Bharat, which provides top-quality healthcare to the most vulnerable,” he added.

The Prime Minister also mentioned other healthcare schemes provided by the Central government, saying, “Other efforts like PM Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana have made medicines affordable. The prices of stents and knee implants have become affordable and this has helped many people.”

He further said that at the same time, medical education has become more accessible to people due to more institutions and seats being available.

“We will keep building on this ground covered so far in order to build a healthy India,” PM Modi said.

Ayushman Bharat was introduced by the Union government in 2018.

Earlier, at a public gathering in Daman, Prime Minister Modi had said the Ayushman Bharat programme had transformed healthcare access in India, extending health insurance protection to more than 60 per cent of families and reducing financial burdens on poor and middle-class households.

“In the BJP government and in our NDA government, the first benchmark of development is change in the lives of the poor, the deprived, tribal communities and the middle class,” he said.

The Prime Minister highlighted the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provides eligible beneficiaries with health coverage of up to Rs five lakh.

“Today, even the poorest citizen has access to an Ayushman Card and the assurance of free treatment worth up to Rs five lakh,” he said.

PM Modi added that the Union government had complemented the scheme with Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and digital health initiatives.

According to the Prime Minister, Ayushman Cards and Jan Aushadhi Kendras had helped poor and middle-class families save nearly Rs 2.25 lakh crore in medical expenses.

–IANS

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