Prime Minister Narendra Modi assures support to all Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries

RANCHI: Seventeen-year-old Preti Kumari, a resident of Agrico in Jamshedpur, is hopeful of resuming her studies soon after a long hiatus. Five months back, she got her face charred in freak accident at home and had to drop out of school. Initially, she took leave for treatment but then she was too embarrassed to go out with a burnt face. Preeti now has a hope to resume school which she left at Class IX, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured her of all support.
Preeti, one of the many beneficiaries of the Centre’s flagship scheme — Ayushman Bharat — which was rolled out nationally by Modi last year from Ranchi, met the Prime Minister on Sunday when the latter interacted with select group of beneficiaries when he visited Hazaribag.
“It was a dream come true meeting the PM,” an elated Preeti said, after coming out of the event which was a closed-door session amid heavy security bandobast. The beneficiaries present inside said there were over 500 persons called from across the state. About 30-35 of them had a chance to directly interact with PM on the occasion.
“Before I know about the Ayushman scheme, I had spent over Rs 1 lakh, but after getting the golden card, I am getting cashless treatment at a local hospital in Dimna (Jamshedpur). I am told that plastic surgery of my face and portions of neck will also happen soon without having to pay from my pocket. I want to resume studies now,” she told TOI, adding that her father is a daily wager and is currently unemployed.
Like her, 47-year-old Shankar Sao of Petarwar block of Bokaro, too, was bowled over by the simplicity of the PM. Sao was detected with blood cancer in November last year and couldn’t afford treatment in CMC Vellore. “Later, I learnt about this scheme and currently, I am getting treatment at Ranchi-based Abdul Razzak Memorial Hospital. I don’t want to die before getting my daughter married,” said Sao, who had married off his two other daughters in the past. Leaving for his home in Bokaro in an air-conditioned bus, he added, “No matter what people say, but for the poor, getting a cashless treatment is unheard of earlier.”
Ranchi-based Kuldeep Thakur, who recently got treated for a tumour, said the PM had asked them to do three things. “Abandon drinking, beti padhao, beti bachchao and maintain cleanliness, he told us. We all vowed to follow his words,” he added.