Targeting the Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme in West Bengal and Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the tendency to oppress ailing people for political interests is inhuman.

The Prime Minister launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health insurance scheme for senior citizens. Under this scheme, people aged above 70 years will get a health cover up to Rs Rs 5 lakh annually. Those already covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will get a top-up of Rs 5 lakh crore. The scheme aims to benefit about 6 crore senior citizens.

“There was a time when people’s houses, lands, jewellery were sold for treatment. The soul of the poor trembled on hearing the cost of treatment for a serious disease. The helplessness of not being able to get treatment due to lack of money would shatter the poor. I could not see my poor brothers and sisters in this helplessness. That is why the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme was born,” the Prime Minister said, adding that around 4 crore people in the country benefited from the scheme.

“But I apologise to the elderly in Delhi and West Bengal for being unable to serve them. I would know that you are in trouble, but I won’t be able to help you. Because the governments in Delhi and West Bengal are not joining this scheme,” he said.

“The tendency to oppress the sick people of your state for political interests does not stand the test of humanity. I can serve the people of the country, but the walls of political interests are preventing me from serving the elderly people of Delhi, and West Bengal,” the Prime Minister said.

Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the Centre and state governments shoulder the cost of premiums in a 60-40 ratio. Both Bengal and Delhi governments have health insurance schemes of their own, which they claim are better than the Centre’s plan. 

The Prime Minister said the government has prepared five highlights of a national health policy. “First is preventive healthcare, second is timely intervention, third is affordable treatment and medicines, fourth is robust facilities and qualified doctors in small cities and the fifth is use of advanced technology. India now looks at healthcare with a holistic viewpoint,” he said.

The Prime Minister launched a string of health projects worth Rs 12,850 crore.  
 

An elderly, visually challenged couple lived with the body of their 30-year-old son for four days, unaware that he was dead. The traumatic situation would probably have continued if the couple’s neighbours in Hyderabad’s Blinds Colony had not noticed a foul smell emanating from the house and called the police on Monday.

The station head officer of Nagole police station, Surya Nayak, told news agency PTI that the man and the woman were over 60 and tried calling out to their son for food and water, but did not get any response. Their voices were feeble and that is probably why their neighbours could also not hear them, he said. 

Police officials said the couple were in a semi-conscious state when they reached the house. They were rescued and given food and water. 

Mr Nayak said the couple’s son probably died of his sleep four to five days ago and his body has been sent for a post-mortem.

The couple’s elder son, who lives in another part of the city, was informed, and his parents were entrusted to his care.
 

Security forces neutralised three heavily armed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor, utilising AI and unmanned vehicle for a successful operation. Major General Sameer Srivastava highlighted the terrorists’ significant intentions. The operation also saw the loss of an Army sniffer dog, Phantom, who saved many lives. Coordination with local authorities remains ongoing.