Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries cross 10 mn-mark; PM congratulates nation

In September 2018, PM Modi had launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ayushman Bharat

The number of people who have benefited from the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme has crossed the 10 million-mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, noting that the initiative has had a positive impact on several lives.

In September 2018, PM Modi had launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ayushman Bharat. It has been termed as the biggest government-sponsored healthcare scheme in the world. “It would make every Indian proud that the number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries has crossed 1 crore. In less than two years, this initiative has had a positive impact on so many lives,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

He congratulated all the beneficiaries and their families and prayed for their good health. He appreciated the doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and all others associated with Ayushman Bharat, saying their efforts have made it the largest healthcare programme in the world. “This initiative has won the trust of several Indians, especially the poor and downtrodden,” he said. One of the biggest benefits of Ayushman Bharat is portability, the prime minister pointed out.

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SC asks Centre to provide PPEs to non-Covid doctors, healthcare workers

The order was passed by the apex court on Monday, but it was uploaded on the Supreme Court’s website on Tuesday late evening

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Centre to make available the essential PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) to non-Covid doctors and other healthcare workers engaged in treating the non-Covid patients. A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice NV Ramana and also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B R Gavai, passed the order after hearing the petition filed by Dr Jerryl Banait. The order was passed by the apex court on Monday, but it was uploaded on the Supreme Court’s website on Tuesday late evening.

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“We direct the respondent, Union of India (UOI) to examine this issue and make necessary suggestions in the rational use of PPE guidelines so that these PPEs are provided to all health officials, who are working in non-Covid treatment areas,” the apex court said in its order.”We find substance in the petitioner’s suggestions that the non-Covid doctors and healthcare professionals should be given PPEs to treat those patients of non-Covid,” it added.

The top court passed the order after hearing from the petitioner, Dr Banait, and Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, who had appeared for the Centre. The petitioner sought appropriate orders/directions, from the Supreme Court for providing PPEs to all healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, ward boys and other medical and paramedical professionals, who are working in all in Covid-19 treatment areas.

Doctors agree to talks with Mamata Banerjee; IMA nation-wide strike today

Doctors said they would meet Banerjee if their community was adequately represented, but set a condition that the discussion should not take place behind closed doors

Six days after the strike, doctors in Bengal have agreed to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a place of her choice, raising hopes for a breakthrough in the impasse. The meeting is likely to take place on Monday afternoon at Nabanna, the state secretariat. This comes as the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the apex doctors’ body, called for a nation-wide strike of non-essential services on Monday.

Following a meeting, doctors said they would meet Banerjee if their community was adequately represented, but set a condition that the discussion should not take place behind closed doors. Representatives from 14 medical colleges are expected to be present at the meeting.

“All the hospitals must be well represented, including those from North Bengal. Moreover, the meeting should take place in the presence of the media. We will not meet behind closed doors,” the agitating doctors had said. Mamata Banerjee is under pressure to resolve the strike, which started when two junior doctors at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata were assaulted after a 75-year-old patient died. One of the doctors, who was beaten up, was seriously injured and is still undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Banerjee had sought to meet the doctors on Friday and Saturday at the state secretariat, Nabanna, but the doctors turned down the request insisting that the venue be NRS. However, doctors on Sunday appeared to soften their stand after public pressure started rising against the continued strike, especially after the government agreed to their demand of beefing up police protection at government hospitals to protect them from miscreants. Hundreds of junior doctors had offered to resign on Friday. However, the Chief Minister said that mass resignation had little value.