Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy would launch a mass outreach programme to distribute the upgraded Arogyasri health cards to 1.42 crore families from December 19.
Jagan Reddy started a campaign of the flagship Arogyasri scheme to spread awareness among the masses regarding these upgraded services. He hopes to attract more people to his party in the run-up to the 2024 general elections.
Arogyasri is the benchmark health scheme started by YS Rajasekhar Reddy, which was a big success in changing the lives of the poor. It gave a major boost to the then Congress government in the United AP.
Several states followed the Arogyasri concept and majority political parties offered free health cards to the people on the lines of Arogyasri.
The Jagan Reddy government is taking proactive steps to strengthen Arogyasri, under which the government increased the procedures to 3257 from 1,059 and increased the eligibility to utilise the Arogyasri services to those having up to '5 lakh income. The government also decided to allow some critical procedures, costing upto '25 lakh free of cost.
The chief minister would conduct a video conference with all officials on Dec 18 and address the staff of village and ward secretariats, community health officers (CHOs), ANMs, Asha workers, YSR Village Clinics, household heads and volunteers across the state. He would explain the augmented services and initiate the new Arogyasri cards distribution through a house-to-house programme.
Arogyasri has been cited as the best health scheme for the people and a weapon to political parties to attract the masses towards their parties in the elections.
Jagan Reddy, who was implementing Navaratnalu welfare schemes without a break, is now concentrating on the betterment of the services and hence increased procedures and raised the income limit.
In the recent assembly elections in various states, many parties have promised to provide free medical care on the lines of Arogyasri. In Telangana, the Congress and BJP have promised to provide free medical care up to '10 lakh, while the BRS had promised to provide free medical care up to '15 lakh.
Health minister Vidadala Rajini said the state government would distribute the new Arogyasri cards to the eligible from Dec 18, after the meeting of the chief minister, and was taking steps to distribute 1.43 crore cards to beneficiaries across the state as advised by the CM.
The minister said the government would digitalize the health records of patients treated under the Arogyasri, Arogya Suraksha and Family Physician concept.
