STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Sarma launched the Mukhya Mantri Jan Atogya Yojana (MMJAY) here today. The scheme offers cashless medical treatment facilities up to Rs 5 lakh each to 27 lakh families in around 300 empanelled hospitals in the state and around 3,000 empanelled hospitals in the country.
After the ceremonial distribution of MMJAY cards among the beneficiaries, the Chief Minister said, “These cards have been seeded with ration cards, and the state has around 57 lakh ration cardholders at present. Since around 30 lakh of the ration cardholders get health benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the remaining 27 lakh will get this health benefit under the MMJAY. We will raise the number of MMJAY beneficiaries up to 32 lakh.”
The Chief Minister said, “This scheme will cover 1,578 types of diseases. We are going to introduce another health scheme for the State Government employees, Mukhya Mantrir Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana (MMLSAY), on August 15 this year. This scheme will enable government employees to get cashless treatment facilities in any empanelled hospital. This scheme will replace the existing lengthy system of medical reimbursement for government employees.”
He said, “The State Government is working hand-in-hand with the Central government to boost the health sector. Assam had 726 MBBS seats in 2014, and now the number of MBBS seats has risen to 1,500. Likewise, the number of medical postgraduate seats was 395 in 2014 and has increased to 722 now.”
He further said, “We are working with the motto of making health benefits available to the last person in society in the remotest area of the state. We have launched the Orunodoi scheme to eradicate poverty. Many other states have now evinced interest in launching such a scheme.”
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