The Impact of Ayushman Bharat Yojana on Rural Healthcare and Development

The welfare of the public is a priority for any government. The government of India has established several schemes and campaigns that have shown positive results toward a brighter future for the people of India. Rural healthcare and development have always been the primary focus of the health ministry of India. With more than 70% of the population living in rural areas, the government is always sensitive to their problems, constantly striving to provide better facilities.

In order to provide universal health care along with adhering to sustainable development goals, the Indian government launched the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which proved to be a revolutionary step in the rural healthcare and development of India. And here is why.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Its Components

On 23rd September 2018, India launched the world’s most extensive government-funded healthcare scheme catering to the medical needs of lakhs of people in the country. This scheme has proved to be the most effective healthcare scheme. It also aligns with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), thereby contributing to the welfare of the entire country. It has two components:

• Health and wellness centres
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

Health and Wellness Centers

This component of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana focused on providing primary medical care to all the people who can’t afford expensive medical aid. It is aimed at increasing the standard of healthcare in India by improving the services for underprivileged people. These  centres introduced comprehensive services which are accessible and affordable for a huge part of the population.

Here are the salient features of AB-HWCs:

• Provision of maternal care
• Services for infant healthcare
• Tools and services for family planning, reproductive healthcare
• Medical aid for ENT problems
• 1,50,000 wellness centres established
• Free essential drugs and diagnostic services
• Primary and tertiary care services
• 24×7 emergency care
• Services for rehabilitative care

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ( PMJAY)

Another component of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), aims at safeguarding the underprivileged from a financial crisis in the event of a medical emergency. It is the largest government-funded healthcare insurance scheme that strives to provide tertiary and secondary healthcare to all the beneficiaries.

The PMJAY aligns with the 3rd sustainable development goal (SDG) of ensuring good health and well-being. Here are the salient characteristics of the PMJAY:

• It provides a coverage of 5 lakhs to each family so that they can avail of secondary and tertiary care.
• It also provides coverage for expenses for 3 days of pre-hospitalisation and 15 days of post-hospitalisation.
• The services can be availed at the PAN India level.
• It covers more than 1,393 treatments and procedures, along with coverage for medicines and diagnostic services.

Ayushman Bharat Card and How To Apply For It

Ayushman Bharat has made healthcare accessible in the remotest corners of the country. The accessibility and utility of this scheme make it one of a kind. To avail of these services, one must own an Ayushman Bharat card. By showing your ABHA card to the linked hospitals, you can acquire the benefits. The ABHA card number that is registered with the network hospitals lets you avail of the services that are covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

Have a look at the Ayushman Bharat Eligibility criteria:

• Only applicable to the Indian citizens
• The income of the applicant must fall below the BPL criteria
• If the applicant has availed the services from any government housing program earlier, then they won’t be eligible to apply for Ayushman Bharat Card.

This scheme has helped lakhs of people gain security for their medical needs. This has significantly impacted the health standards of the country as well. Both the components of Ayushman Bharat, the HWCs, and PMJAY have proved to be revolutionary in helping the underprivileged be financially secure.