19-day-old Haryana girl becomes first Ayushman Bharat beneficiary

19-day-old Karishma, born at Kalpana Chawla government hospital in Karnal on August 15, has become the first new-born beneficiary of Prime Minister's Ayushman Bharat Yojana (National Health Protection Scheme).

Lauding the government for the scheme, Karishma's mother Mausami said, "'The government will bear all medical expenses. This scheme is very good."

Prime Minister Modi, on the occasion of Independence Day, had announced that the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan' will be launched on September 25.

The scheme is the flagship project of Ayushman Bharat, the national healthcare policy, launched by the government earlier this year.

Ayushman Bharat, also referred to as 'Modicare', was launched by the Government of India in February this year. The ambitious healthcare policy promises to cover over 100 million poor and vulnerable families, based on SECC (Socio-Economic Caste Census) database, providing coverage up to Rs 500,000 per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country and the beneficiaries will be allowed to take cashless benefits from any public/private empanelled hospitals across the country.