Tripura to unveil universal health insurance cover worth Rs 5 lakh for more 4.15 lakh families

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, February 6, 2024

Taking a cue from the Ayushman Bharat scheme under Prime Minister Jana Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the government of Tripura is all set to launch a universal health insurance cover for families that missed out of the centrally sponsored scheme. The scheme has been named after Chief Minister Jana Arogya Yojana that is expected to bring 4 lakh 15 thousand families under its purview, cabinet spokesperson and minister Sushanta Chowdhury has said.

Briefing the media persons on the cabinet decisions, the Minister said, “A whopping sum of rupees 104 crore has been allocated for the project. In the last year’s budget, Rs 59 crore was earmarked for the project but after thorough discussion and necessary calculations done by the officials of the health department, the budgetary allocation was increased. Very soon CM Dr Manik Saha in presence of Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy will welcome the scheme. The scheme has already get the approval of the state cabinet in the meeting held on February 03.”

Elaborating further on the beneficiary base, Chowdhury explained that barring 10,000 odd workers who are registered with the labour department, each and every family that did not find its place in the PM-JAY scheme is eligible for the benefits provided under this scheme. “There are around 4.5 lakh families that are registered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The total number of families in the state stand at 9.75 lakh. If we keep the 10,000 families of construction and others workers out of the proposed scheme all the remaining 4.15 lakh families are eligible for a cover upto Rs 5 lakh health insurance per annum. The whole process would be cashless and patients under this scheme will get free medicines from the hospital authorities for a period of 15 days on being discharged after any critical illness,” the Minister added.

The Minister also said that the government employees who get Rs 6,000 per annum as medical allowance could also enroll themselves in the scheme if they forgo the allowance. “From Ministers to businessmen; from small vendors to day wage labourers; all are eligible for the benefits in 26,000 empanelled hospitals across the country. All the hospitals that provide treatment under PM-JAY have been roped in for CM-JAY as well,” he added.

Apart from that, the Minister also informed the media persons that the state council of ministers approved a proposal for filling up of 226 posts of Junior Physical Instructors. The Cabinet also in principal approved the proposal of handing over 15 acres of land to Cachar Cancer Hospital Society at Dharmanagar for setting up state’s second cancer hospital. Besides, a new ICDS project would be opened at Ganganagar.