UP CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurates Medanta Hospital in Noida

The chief minister said the state has expanded access to free healthcare, noting that schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and the PM Jan Arogya Yojana have made it easier for poor families to access treatment.

Addressing the inauguration event, CM Yogi said, "Today the world has progressed a lot, and in accordance with today's demands, we cannot keep ourselves behind in providing the best health facilities. 8-10 years ago, it was a difficult task for a poor person to get treatment... but in the last 6-7 years, under the Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Yojana, work is being done to provide free health services of 5 lakh rupees per year to 50 crore people across the country. In Uttar Pradesh, we have expanded its scope..."

Notably, Ayushman Bharat, a flagship scheme of the Government of India, was launched as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) was launched on September 23, 2018, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

AB PM-JAY is the largest health insurance scheme in the world, which aims to provide health cover of Rs 5,00,000 per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to over 10.74 crores poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) who constitute the bottom 40% of the Indian population.

The households included are based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban areas, respectively. The Government fully funds PM-JAY, and the implementation costs are shared between the Central and State Governments.

Earlier in the day, the chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, along with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, conducted an on-site inspection at Jewar Airport and also held a review meeting.

The Jewar airport, officially named Noida International Airport, is a major greenfield airport project located near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, India, intended to serve the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). (ANI)