AGARTALA, Sep 25 (TIWN): The free cashless health insurance scheme for the poor, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) or Ayushman Bharat completed a year on September 23. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb has inaugurated the programme at Pragna Bhawan.

CM announced to make self-visits in hospitals to check how many are deprive of Ayushman Bharat scheme are admitted in Govt hospitals, warned Govt officials to complete works before his visit.

Deb urged Doctors to dedicate themselves for more in service for the patients.

Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries remained present on that occasion, thanked Prime Minister Modi for “saving lives”.

One such young boy named Mijanur Rehman from Sonamura, in Tripura who was suffering for many years, stopped speaking via Ayuhsman Bharat scheme was helped with free medical service.

Introducing Mijanur, CM said, “He had lost all his hope for life but our local party workers helped him in making Ayushman Bharat card. Through Ayushman Bharat scheme he has gone through treatment in NIMHANS Bangalore.Today I am delighted to share with all that he is now able to walk & we had conversations too. Mijanur & his entire family has thanked PM Narendra Modi”.

The National Health Authority (NHA) which implements the scheme stated that 46.4 lakh had received treatment through hospitalisation under the scheme throughout India. However, the past year has thrown up multiple challenges for the plan.

One such challenge is to strengthen its fraud control mechanisms. NHA said in its press release that patients availed free treatment worth nearly â‚¹7,500 crore . This means that the average cost of treatment per patient in the scheme comes up to â‚¹16, 164. The average promised annual cover of five lakh rupees per family is way higher than the average cost of treatment of a patient, considering that it is highly unlikely that all family members will avail the benefit in the same year.