27.8 mn Ayushman cards created under Vikshit Bharat campaign: Govt

Over 2.78 crore Ayushman Bharat cards have been created in more than 2.3 lakh health camps organised in gram panchayats and urban local bodies across the country under the ongoing Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said the health camps have seen a total footfall of over 7.2 crore since the campaign began on November 15, last year.

Of the 2.78 crore Ayushman Bharat cards issued, 51 lakh physical cards have been distributed, it said. Ayushman cards are being created using the Ayushman app and physical cards are being distributed to the beneficiaries.

So far, 3.85 crore people have been screened for TB at the health camps, out of which 11.8 lakh were referred to higher public health facilities, the ministry said.

Screening of patients for TB is carried out by screening for symptoms, sputum testing, and using NAAT machines wherever available. Cases suspected to have TB are referred to higher facilities.

Under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA), consent is being taken for patients suffering from TB for receiving assistance from Nikshay Mitras.

Attendees willing to be Nikshay Mitras are also being provided on-spot registration. Over 4.17 lakh patients have given consent under PMTBMBA and 1.18 new Nikshay Mitras were registered, the ministry said.

Under Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), monetary assistance is provided to TB patients through direct benefit transfer, the ministry said.

Bank account details of pending beneficiaries are being collected and accounts are being Aadhaar seeded. Details of 87,129 such beneficiaries have been collected, the ministry stated.

The ministry further said that over 42.3 lakh people have been screened so far for sickle cell anaemia, out of which 70,995 were found to be positive and referred to higher public health facilities.

In areas with more tribal population, screening of eligible population (up to 40 years of age) is being done for the detection of sickle cell disease through the point of care (PoC) tests or solubility tests for the disease. Cases testing positive are being referred to higher centres for management, the ministry said.

Around 5.4 crore people have been screened for hypertension and diabetes and cases suspected to be positive are being referred to higher centres. More than 20 lakh were suspected to be positive for hypertension and more than 14.3 lakh were suspected to have diabetes and over 30.5 lakh people were referred to higher public health facilities, the ministry said.

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was launched by the Prime Minister on November 15 from Khunti, Jharkhand to saturate the benefits of central government schemes across the nation.

As a part of on-spot services under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, health camps are being organised at the places of halt of the IEC (information, education and communication) van in the gram panchayats.