Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the government-sponsored health insurance scheme – Ayushman Bharat, now rechristened Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan– would now be launched in less than a month-and-a-half.
It surely seems an ambitious target. However, as the deadline looms, challenges on the ground remain immense. Since a month now, close to 7,000 hospitals have applied to be empanelled, said the scheme’s CEO, Indu Bhushan.
“We have yet not closed the application process on the portal. Meanwhile, we are in the process of vetting hospitals. If the hospital does not adhere...