Lucknow Press
New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects related to the health sector. On this occasion, he said, today the whole country is celebrating the festival of Dhanteras and the birth anniversary of Lord Dhanvantari. I congratulate all of you on Dhanteras and the birth anniversary of Lord Dhanvantari. On this day, a large number of people in the country buy something new for their home, I especially congratulate the business associates of the country. Advance best wishes of Deepawali to all of you.
PM said, this time’s Deepawali is historic. After 500 years, such an opportunity has come when thousands of lamps will be lit in the temple built on the birthplace of Ramlala in Ayodhya. It will be a wonderful celebration. This will be such a Deepawali when our Ram has returned to his home once again, and this time this wait is not being fulfilled after 14 years, but after 500 years.
He said, it is a matter of happiness for all of us that Ayurveda Day is being celebrated in more than 150 countries today. This is proof of the growing global attraction towards Ayurveda. This is proof of how much the new India can give to the world from its ancient experiences. He also said, the healthier the citizens of a country, the faster will be the pace of progress of that country. With this thought, giving priority to the health of its citizens, the central government has decided five pillars of health policy: Preventive healthcare i.e. prevention before the disease occurs. Timely diagnosis of the disease. Free and cheap treatment, cheap medicines. Good treatment in small towns, removing the shortage of doctors and expansion of technology in healthcare.
Along with this, he said, there was a time when people’s houses, lands, jewelry were sold for treatment. The soul of the poor trembled on hearing the cost of treatment of a serious disease. The helplessness of not being able to get treatment due to lack of money used to break the poor. I could not see my poor brothers and sisters in this helplessness, that is why the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme was born. The government decided that the government will bear the cost of treatment of the poor up to Rs 5 lakh. About 4 crore poor people in the country have benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Now every elderly person above 70 years of age will get free treatment in the hospital. Such elderly people will be given Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card. This scheme will prove to be a milestone. If the elderly in the house has Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card, then the expenses of the family will be reduced and their worries will also be reduced. During the elections, I had guaranteed that in the third term, all the elderly above 70 years of age will be brought under the ‘Ayushman Yojana’. Today, on the day of Dhanvantari Jayanti, this guarantee is being fulfilled.
PM said, I apologize to every elderly person above 70 years of age in Delhi and West Bengal that I will not be able to serve you. I will know that you are suffering, but I will not be able to help you, because due to their political interests, the government of Delhi and West Bengal are not joining the ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojana’.
