In a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Monday, BJP leader Vijender Gupta alleged the AAP Government was deliberately not implementing the Centre’s health scheme Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) in the Capital. Stating that Delhi is the only state in the country that has not utilised the Rs. 2,406 crore allocated by the Centre under this scheme, Gupta urged Atishi to implement it as soon as possible so that the people can benefit from it. Explaining the scheme, the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly said Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched PM-ABHIM to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure across the country. “While all other states have fully utilised the scheme, Delhi was allocated Rs. 2,406 crore, which was supposed to establish 1,139 public health centres, 11 public health labs, 10 critical care blocks, four government hospitals with 100-bed critical care units, and five ICUs with 50 beds each in government medical colleges across Delhi’s 11 districts. However, due to the government’s delays, this scheme has been pending since 2021,” he said. Responding to Gupta, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party called Ayushman Bharat a mere front for an insurance scheme, which does not universally apply to all citizens. “It has stringent conditions and excludes anyone with access to a phone, refrigerator or a scooty. Hospitalisation is mandatorily required under the Ayushman scheme and it does not cover OPD patients. One needs to get hospitalised to get treated under the scheme, which also is limited to coverage of only Rs. 5 lakh per family. CAG has unearthed massive corruption in the implementation of this scheme,” said the party. Praising the Delhi government, the AAP said it has allotted over 16 per cent to health for the citizens of Delhi as it prioritises free, accessible healthcare for all citizens. “There are no prerequisites to be eligible under the Delhi government's health scheme. Whether it’s a treatment costing one rupee or one crore, whether you have a phone or a fridge or even a Rolls-Royce, you are eligible for free treatment. People from all over the country come to Delhi to avail of facilities provided under the Delhi Government's health model. We cater to a large number of patients from Haryana and UP especially,” said the AAP. The party added that the Centre should study the Delhi government’s scheme, which has received accolades from across the world, and implement it across the entire country instead of misguiding citizens on a critical issue like healthcare. Last Saturday, Gupta and the AAP clashed over the delay in the implementation of the Health Information Management System (HIMS) as Gupta wrote to Atishi demanding the implementation of the system. On his part, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said there was a delay because of the non-availability of the requisite software platform for the system amid a “U-turn” by the bureaucracy.
