Bachulal Tiwary, 50, who will undergo a heart surgery on Sunday in Ranchi is set to become Jharkhand’s first claimant of the world’s largest public health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat -Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY).
Ahead of his surgery, he will receive the golden card (health insurance card) from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch of the scheme.
“Tiwary will undergo heart valve operation at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, on Sunday evening under the scheme,” said state health secretary Nidhi Khare.
Tiwary, a part-time school teacher who gives private tuitions to make a living, said he was detected with 90% blockage in one of his heart valves on September 15. Doctor had told him that the operation would cost nearly Rs 75,000, which was out of reach for Tiwary who earns meagre Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 a month.
“Ayushman Bharat has come as blessing for me as I had only two options for treatment- either sell property or take loan. I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for such a scheme, which would help crores of people like me who suffer a lot due to the cost of treatment,” Tiwary said.
The Centre’s flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme would provide health insurance cover up to Rs 5 lakh to 57 lakh households of Jharkhand, enrolled under National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Tiwary said doctors at RIMS suggested him to try for availing the benefit of Ayushman Bharat as it is scheduled to be launched on Sunday.
“Doctors told me if I am enrolled under the scheme, my operation would be done free of cost, as I would get health insurance coverage up to Rs 5 lakh. I visited the Ayushman Bharat kiosk at RIMS and submitted the required the documents and thus got enrolled under the scheme,” he said.
He said officials from district administration, who visited the hospital on Saturday, told him that he would be the first person, who would be treated under the scheme in Jharkhand.
A resident of Rajrappa in Ramgarh district, Tiwary is the sole bread earner for his five-member family. He has two sons and a daughter. His wife Manju Devi is a housewife.
Other than Tiwary, four others – Rumi Parween, Mukesh Kumar, Chandan Kumar Ram and Teresa Kachchap would also receive the golden cards from Prime Minister Modi.
Parween, 18, resident of Tatisilwai in Ranchi, said, “Due to a wrong treatment, a bone in my leg became weak and fractured. We had to sell some land for the operation at Vellore, which around Rs 3 lakh. Had there been a scheme like Ayushman Bharat, my father who works as a casual worker in a private firm, would not have sold the property.”
Parween is curious to meet Prime Minister. “Meeting with Prime Minister is like dream come true for me. I would like to say him that Ayushman Bharat would prove to be a boon for poor people in the country,” she said.
Mukesh Kumar, who is physically challenged said his family also had to sell land for his brother’s treatment.
“We had to sell land for treatment of my brother Manoj Kumar, who had met with an accident few years back. Doctors are now saying the rod that has been fitted in his leg would have to take out. But, we do not have enough money for the operation. We thank Modi ji for introducing Ayushman Bharat.”
Mukesh is the first physically challenged person in the country, who recently allotted a PDS shop under National Food Security Act.
First Published: Sep 23, 2018 09:57 IST
Source: HindustanTimes