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.

Shatrughan joins Yashwant Sinha's farmer protests in MP, questions Modicare

Joining fellow disgruntled BJP leader Yashwant Sinha in a protest over farmers' issues, MP Shatrughan Sinha today questioned viability of the health insurance scheme announced in the Union Budget.

The actor-turned-politician today reached Narsinghpur in Madhya Pradesh, where former finance minister Yashwant Sinha has launched a sit-in protest for farmers whose lands would be acquired for a thermal power plant.

The National Health Protection Scheme announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley would require Rs 1.25 trillion for premium payment, which is more than the allocation for health sector in the budgets of the Centre and the states put together, Shatrughan Sinha said.