Efforts on to make Ayushman Bharat foolproof: PM

With the government's flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme completing one year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said efforts are on to make it foolproof and bring about improvements to serve the people better.

He said that according to one estimate, due to demand arising out of the scheme in the next 5-7 years, 11 lakh new jobs will be created.

Addressing a gathering here to mark one year of Ayushman Bharat, the prime minister said it is a matter of great satisfaction that the poor do not have to mortgage their land or ornaments for getting treatment as they are getting assistance under the scheme.

India's healthcare system will be an example for the world, he said and described Ayushman Bharat as one of the several revolutionary steps taken by 'new India'.

He said it was the scheme's big achievement that 46 lakh people have been pulled out of the "darkness of disease".

Efforts are on to make Ayushman Bharat foolproof and bring about improvements in the scheme, he said.

As the demand is increasing in small cities, the modern medical infrastructure network is increasing, Modi said.

In the coming time, many new hospitals will be set up and employment opportunities will increase, he said.

Earlier, the prime minister also interacted with select beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

He also visited an exhibition on PM-JAY showcasing the journey of the scheme over the past one year.