Kolkata, May 12 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s blessings for the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana rollout in the state and said that the “double-engine government” is committed to ensuring that the healthcare initiative reaches everyone without fail.

This came as PM Modi expressed happiness over the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat initiative in West Bengal, saying that the people of the state will now have access to the world’s largest healthcare scheme that “guarantees quality” and “affordable medical treatment”.

In a post on X, CM Adhikari said, “Heartfelt gratitude for your blessings, Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji. For years, the people of West Bengal were deprived of your visionary healthcare and welfare schemes. With the ‘Double-Engine’ Government finally in gear, we are committed to ensuring Ayushman Bharat and every Central initiative reach the last mile without obstruction. West Bengal is finally back on the path of progress.”

Earlier, PM Modi had posted, “The welfare of my sisters and brothers of West Bengal is supreme! I’m very happy that the people of the state will have access to Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest healthcare scheme that ensures top-quality and affordable healthcare. At the same time, the double-engine Government will ensure seamless delivery of key Central schemes.”

The Prime Minister’s remarks came after the newly sworn-in Bengal Chief Minister announced the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state, enabling residents to avail benefits under the Centre’s flagship healthcare scheme.

The scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’, a component of the Centre’s broader Ayushman Bharat initiative, is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This aims to provide cashless hospitalisation coverage of Rs 5,00,000 per family per year to poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary healthcare services.

This was launched by the Centre in September 2018 to provide health insurance coverage to economically weaker sections of the society.

–IANS

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