New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood handed over Ayushman health cards to 10 senior citizens in his Janakpuri assembly segment on Sunday under the Delhi government's Vay Vandana Yojana, a health insurance and pension scheme for the elderly.
Under the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme, Delhi people aged 70 years and above are offered free health treatment worth up to Rs 10 lakh.
Speaking at an event organised to felicitate Sood on becoming a senior minister in the Rekha Gupta government, he said, "We had promised that Ayushman cards would first be given to the senior citizens of Janakpuri, and today we have fulfilled that promise."
"Illness will no longer be a financial burden. The scheme ensures both accessibility and quality of treatment," he said.
Each beneficiary is also provided a list of hospitals where the card is accepted. At present, 48 hospitals in Delhi are empanelled under the scheme.
Since the launch of the scheme in Delhi earlier this year, over 2.42 lakh Ayushman health cards have been issued.
The Delhi government signed an MoU with the Centre on April 5 to implement AB-PMJAY, becoming the 35th state or Union Territory to join the scheme.
Sood also criticised the previous AAP government for delaying the rollout of the scheme, "depriving" citizens of quality healthcare.