The Aam Admi Party on Sunday termed the BJP’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance programme a 'jumla' (platitude) and alleged that the scheme is being imposed on the people of Delhi.
The reaction comes after Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan on Saturday counter-argued that Kejriwal's claim that the AAP government's health scheme is "ten times bigger and comprehensive" than the Ayushman Bharat programme saying the Delhi CM’s "callous" response reflects his lack of interest in the welfare of the people of the city.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, in a video message, said that if Vardhan is so concerned about the people of Delhi, then the Centre should alot land for mohalla clinics to the Delhi government.
He said, "The DDA has not allotted land for a single mohalla clinic. If Harsh Vardhan is so concerned about the well being of the people of Delhi then he should allot land for construction of mohalla clinics." "The Centre wants to impose Ayushman Bharat on Delhi. The bizarre scheme only pays for your (people's) treatment when you fulfil certain criteria like if your income is below Rs 10,000 if you have no gas connection at your home among others. On the other hand, in Delhi government's hospitals everyone gets free treatment” he added.
Bharadwaj then further claimed that if the scheme was so successful in states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as claimed by the Centre then why half of the patients in Delhi's government hospitals are from these two states.
Vardhan has submitted a second letter to the Delhi CM as the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme became yet another conflict of interest between the Centre and the Delhi government, which has refused to implement it in the city.
Kejriwal had replied on Friday that the Delhi Government has introduced free health care and, therefore, need not implement the central scheme. However, Vardhan hit back saying all "fancy schemes" of the AAP government, "including the much-touted Universal Coverage Health Scheme, announced more than a year ago, are still lying on the drawing boards awaiting implementation even after four-and-half-years"
"Shriman Kejriwal ji, your tenure as chief minister of Delhi is about to expire. It is only with an eye on the impending assembly election that you have started befooling the public by showering bizarre schemes one after another that shall never take off," he said.
He also claimed in the letter that Kejriwal’s Mohalla Clinics are an utter flop and the drastic neglect of patient care in Delhi government hospitals is there for all to see
Meanwhile, he invited the chief minister to collaborate for the larger good of the people of Delhi and the country and said the proposed scheme of Delhi Government can be linked with Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY).