In a nationwide virtual launch of Ayushman Bhava campaign by the President of India, Draupadi Murmu, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, on Wednesday participated in the launch in Meghalaya held at State Convention Centre in the presence of Minister, Health, Ampareen Lyngdoh and senior officials from the Health department.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that developments will be meaningless if the government is not able to provide the basic health facilities at the grassroots. “The government in different social and economic sectors have programs that are specific to different social sectors, categories and regions and target different issues like health, education and farming so that a holistic and inclusive development is achieved,” he said.
The Chief Minister also stated that health is not only the responsibility of the government but good health starts at the house of an individual. “Health starts with basic hygiene practices at the household, the village and regional level and hence different levels in the society have a role and responsibility to make sure that every citizen in our state is healthy therefore involvement of the stakeholders is very important,” he said.
He also informed that without the involvement of the community no program is successful. “I am happy to hear the testimonies of the success of different Village Health Councils because we are a society that thrives on community and we are leveraging the advantage of this community based system to ensure that health services are also provided at the grassroots,” he stated. He also announced that Rs 20,000 will be assisted to every VHCs that is actively working to support the activities of the VHCs. “We are looking forward to how the VHCs will transform things in the health sector at the grassroots level,” he added.
He further informed the budget allocation to health sector is very high for the government is following up the health sector with commitment, action and full financial support. He also said that though there are number of challenges in the health sector the government is working towards addressing the challenges. “Upgradation of sub centres, CHCs, PHCs and issues in the district hospitals like lack of basic facilities like water, power, medicine supply, manpower training, equipment management and procurement are issues that are being addressed so that we can improve the functioning of health centres,” he said.
The Chief Minister also released the Village Health Council-IEC Book, Register and launched the VHC App and distributed awards to the best performers and achievers in VHCs/TB/MHIS programs. The launch was attended by ASHAs, health workers and VHC members from across the state.
The Ayushman Bhava campaign launched today is being introduced during the Seva Pakhwada (Service Fortnight) from September 17th and will end on October 2 and during the fortnight several activities have been planned to enhance healthcare accessibility and awareness.
Ayushman Bhava is an umbrella campaign comprising Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0 which is aimed at the creation and distribution of Ayushman cards to all remaining eligible beneficiaries; Ayushman Mela as part of which weekly health melas will be held at the level of AB-HWCs and Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Ayushman Sabha, a village/ward level sabha to be held to enhance awareness about various health care schemes and services. Around 60,000 people will be given Ayushman Bharat cards.
It is a government-sponsored health scheme that aims to provide qualitative, affordable, and accessible healthcare to citizens across India. The scheme provides access to a wide range of medical benefits, including free diagnosis and treatment services for serious illnesses, financial support for hospitalizations and surgeries, and more.
The scheme will be available to all citizens of India, regardless of their income or social status. In addition, those suffering from chronic illnesses will be eligible for coverage under the scheme. The scheme will also cover individuals who are unable to afford essential medical treatments due to financial constraints.
The government has also introduced several initiatives under the Ayushman Bhava scheme to make healthcare more accessible. These include online registration of patients, telemedicine services, and free ambulance services. In addition, the government has made arrangements for patients to receive free medicines at government-run hospitals and centres.
The government is also encouraging people to take preventive measures to reduce their chances of falling ill by providing them with information on healthy living habits and diet plans. Additionally, the scheme also provides coverage for preventive care such as regular check-ups and health screenings as well as vaccinations for children.
The scheme has been designed in such a way that it can be implemented cost-effectively so that it is not a burden on the public exchequer. Ayushman Bhava is an initiative by the Government of India which aims to make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and qualitative for its citizens.