PM reviews preparations for 'Modicare'
New Delhi, May 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reviewed the progress of preparations for the launch of ambitious National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), popularly known as "Modicare", according to an official.
"The Prime Minister was apprised of the preparation done so far, including consultations with states, for a smooth and expeditious rollout of the health assurance programme under 'Ayushman Bharat' initiative," said the statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The scheme will provide a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year and is targeted to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families.
Informed sources said the government was likely to ready the scheme before August 15, 2018 and launch it on the Independence Day.
Modi stressed on providing maximum benefit to the poor and marginalised sections of society under the scheme, the statement said.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NITI Aayog and PMO, briefed the Prime Minister on various aspects of the scheme.
Last month, on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, the Prime Minister had inaugurated the first Health and Wellness Centre under Ayushman Bharat at Bijapur in Chhattisgarh.
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Had a very good conversation with friend Modi: Trump
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had a "very good conversation" with his "friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He was referring to the talks the two leaders had on Tuesday.
"I had a very good talk with him, and he's a friend of mine from India, and he's doing great. We had a very good conversation," Trump told reporters here as he headed to Las Vegas to address a roundtable on tax cuts.
Trump had called Modi on Tuesday to discuss the bilateral relationship and share perspectives on the situation in West Asia, where the US and Israel have launched a war on Iran.
The US and Iran declared a two-week ceasefire on April 7. They engaged in peace talks with Washington, insisting that Tehran give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and uranium enrichment.
The war with Iran has sent gas prices soaring as Tehran blocked the sea lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway for a fifth of global oil supplies.
During the Trump-Modi phone call on Tuesday, the two leaders stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.
According to the US Ambassador to India Sergei Gor, the 40-minute conversation ended with Trump telling Modi, "we all love you".
Tuesday's phone call was the second between the two leaders since the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28.
