Every Indian over age of 70 to receive free healthcare under government scheme
New Delhi: Every Indian citizen aged above 70 years will now receive free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, President Droupadi Murmu announced today.
Addressing a joint session of Parliament, she highlighted the expansion of this program.
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is recognized as the world's largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, providing health cover of ₹ 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. This initiative currently benefits 55 crore citizens.
President Murmu emphasized the government's commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility. "Now, every elderly person above 70 years of age will also be covered and get the benefit of free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojana," she stated.
Additionally, the President noted the rapid progress in the establishment of 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country. These centers aim to provide affordable medicines to the public, further strengthening the healthcare infrastructure.
The Hospital Empanelment and Management (HEM) guidelines under AB-PMJAY entrust State Health Agencies (SHAs) with the responsibility of empaneling hospitals.
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IAF to hold 2-day wargame along frontier with Pakistan: NOTAM issued
New Delhi, May 6 (PTI): The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft, sources in the defence establishment said on Tuesday.
The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India's civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border.
India's frontline fighter jets including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft are set to feature in the exercise, the sources said.
In the course of the exercise, the IAF will simulate enemy targets on ground and in the air with deadly precision, they said.
The militaries of both India and Pakistan are on a high alert following rising tensions between the two nations.
Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, India, citing "cross-border linkages" to the strike, promised severe punishment to those involved in it.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India's response to the terror attack.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh met Prime Minister Modi on Sunday and the Chief of Air Staff briefed him about the IAF's operational readiness.
On Saturday, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
