Ooty (Tamil Nadu), April 27 (IANS) While Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has become a cornerstone of Modi government’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the scheme has motivated many ‘volunteers’ to spread awareness about the gamechanger scheme among the masses, particularly those who have remained outside the ambit of it.
In Tamil Nadu’s Ooty, Professor Dr Uma Mallen has taken up the initiative of educating and encouraging villagers to get themselves enrolled for the Ayushman Bharat cards, so that they become registered beneficiaries of the scheme.
Dr Mallen has also earned the public’s admiration and appreciation for making personal visits to their homes in the Nilgiris district and educating them about the medical insurance cards, under which a family is entitled to get a cover of Rs 5 lakh.
The Nilgiris, a hilly region, is home to many villages lacking basic amenities.
Dr Uma Mallen, Professor and Founder Chairman of the Rise Foundation, has taken up the task of promoting the government’s welfare schemes among the masses. Her foundation informs the public about Central government schemes, distributes medical insurance cards and also creates awareness about MUDRA bank loans and educational loans for school students.
She also makes visits to tribal villages in the Nilgiris district to raise awareness about Central government schemes.
Professor Uma Mallen is also promoting environmental protection among the villagers by distributing saplings to villagers, encouraging them to plant trees in their mothers’ names. She is also raising awareness about the Central government’s 100-day employment scheme, which aims to provide employment opportunities to rural people and improve water resources.
Notably, the Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23, 2018. With an ambitious goal of covering over 12 crore families, or nearly 55 crore individuals, PM-JAY has become the largest health assurance scheme in the world, offering comprehensive secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually.
–IANS
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