West Bengal has secured nearly Rs 3,000 crore from the Centre for a major healthcare upgrade, of which Rs 500 crore has already been transferred with the state set to roll out Ayushman Bharat cards from July,
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Friday.
According to Adhikari, the funds will be used to strengthen healthcare infrastructure across the state, including improvements in hospitals, medical equipment and public health services. He said the Ayushman Bharat scheme would start in West Bengal from July after prolonged differences between the state and the Centre over the implementation of the health insurance programme.
“We have received a sanction of Rs 2,103 crore from the Union Health Ministry for the National Health Mission for the current financial year, a fourth of which, Rs 500 crore, has already been transferred by the Centre,” Adhikari said in a virtual press meet from the state secretariat, Nabanna.
The BJP leader claimed the rollout would allow eligible families in Bengal to receive cashless treatment under the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme.
Earlier, West Bengal government had earlier refused to implement Ayushman Bharat under Mamata Banerjee, citing overlap with its own Swasthya Sathi scheme. However, discussions between the Centre and the state reportedly continued over the integration of benefits and funding support.
Adhikari also alleged that the healthcare funds had been approved after repeated demands by the BJP and intervention by the Centre to improve medical facilities in the state.
