Mumbai, Feb 4 (IANS): World Cancer Day is celebrated every year on February 4 to raise awareness about cancer, and the Ayushman Bharat scheme, launched by the Narendra Modi-led Central government in 2018, is emerging as a transformative initiative in the fight against this disease.
The primary goal of celebrating World Cancer Day is to raise awareness about cancer and encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment at the earliest as a large number of people in the country and across the world and to reduce deaths that occur due to cancer.
Islam Ali, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi, told IANS: "My wife Afsari Begum has been undergoing treatment for cancer under the Ayushman Bharat scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Tata Hospital in Mumbai for the last six to seven months. My wife is undergoing chemotherapy and her health expenses are being paid with the help of an Ayushman Card."
"With the help of Ayushman card, there is a lot of help getting health treatment. Till now my wife has undergone five chemotherapy treatments. All those health expenses have been incurred with the help of the Ayushman card," he added.
Mahesh Chaurasia, a resident of Maharashtra's Bhiwandi, told IANS: "My wife Poonam Chaurasia has been treated at the Tata Hospital in Mumbai for the last year with the help of Ayushman Card, from which our family is getting health benefits. My wife is suffering from breast cancer. I work in a private firm and am the only sole breadwinner in the family. My wife's Ayushman card has already been made. Doctors say that my family will benefit from the Ayushman Bharat Yojana."
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is a national public health insurance scheme of the Indian government that was launched on September 23, 2018, that aims to provide free access to health insurance coverage for low-income earners in the country. The bottom 50 per cent of the country qualifies for this scheme. It was later expanded to include all senior citizens above 70 years, regardless of their economic status.
People using the programme access their primary care services from a family doctor and when anyone needs additional care, PM-JAY provides free secondary health care for those needing specialist treatment and tertiary health care for those requiring hospitalisation.
AB PM-JAY was first launched in 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. By December 26, 2020, the scheme was extended to the Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme provides health coverage to 10 crore households or 50 crore Indians, providing a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for medical treatment in empaneled hospitals, both public and private.