People from Bihar arrive on Rs 500 tickets, avail costly medical treatments for free: Delhi CM Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that "people from outside" were landing up in the national capital to avail of the free medical benefits meant for those living in Delhi.

Addressing an event here Kejriwal said: "The situation is such that a person from Bihar buys a ticket to Delhi for Rs 500 and returns after availing free treatment worth Rs 5 lakhs. It makes us happy as they are people of our own country, but Delhi has its own capacity."

"How can Delhi serve people of the entire country? Hence there is a need to improve the healthcare services here," the chief minister said.

 

Kejriwal said that according to a survey conducted by his government in a hospital near the Delhi border, it was found that almost 80 per cent of the patients were from outside the national capital.

The chief minister said that people in Delhi had to stand in long queues inside hospitals to buy medicines and avail other healthcare facilities because of "people coming from outside to avail medical facilities here."

"There are sufficient hospitals to treat the patients of Delhi and I believe that it will take only half an hour for one person if only Delhi people visit in a hospital. People come here from other regions in order to avail good and arrangements in the hospitals here," the chief minister said.

This is not the first time that the state government has made the allegation of outsiders landing up to avail of medical facilities in the national capital and thus disrupting the healthcare system.

Earlier in June, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said his government will not implement the central government's Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the capital and stated that the scheme should be implemented in other states.

"First, the Central government needs to provide the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Around 70 per cent of patients come here from Uttar Pradesh. Modi Ji did nothing there. We will not differentiate between rich and poor. We will not allow this yojana as government hospitals and medical check-ups are for all," Jain had said.