AB-PMJAY significantly reduced cancer patients' financial burden: PM Modi

The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has reduced the cancer patients' financial burden significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

Modi highlighted the achievements made in the fight against malaria and cancer in the 117th episode of his 'Mann Ki Baat'. He said the success on this front has attracted the attention of the world today.

On the fight against cancer, the prime minister talked about a study by Medical Journal Lancet according to which the chances of starting cancer treatment in time in India have increased significantly.

Modi also emphasised the role of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in ensuring timely treatment of cancer patients, within 30 days.

 

"Because of this scheme, 90 percent of cancer patients have been able to start their treatment on time. This has happened because earlier, due to lack of money, poor patients used to shy away from getting tested for cancer and its treatment. Now, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana has become a big support for them. Now they are coming forward to get themselves treated," he said.

"The Ayushman Bharat Yojana has reduced the financial problems in cancer treatment to a great extent," he stated.

Prime Minister Modi stated Malaria has been a big challenge confronting humanity for 4,000 years.

"Even at the time of Independence, it was one of our biggest health challenges. Malaria ranks third among all infectious diseases that kill children between one month and five years of age. Today, I can say with satisfaction that the countrymen have collectively, strongly fought this challenge," he said in the radio broadcast.

He highlighted the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) which mentions, "In India, there has been an 80 percent reduction in the number of malaria cases and deaths due to it between 2015 and 2023."  Underscoring that this success has been achieved through everyone's participation, the prime minister especially mentioned the contribution of tea garden dwellers of Jorhat in Assam and the people of the Kurukshetra district of Haryana for taking the war against malaria more vigorously.

"In the tea gardens of Jorhat in Assam, malaria used to be a major cause of concern for people until four years ago. But when the tea garden dwellers united to eradicate it, they started getting success to a great extent. In this effort, they have made full use of technology as well as social media," he said.

"Similarly, the Kurukshetra district of Haryana has presented a very good model for controlling malaria. Here, public participation for monitoring Malaria has been quite successful. Through street plays and radio, emphasis was laid on messages which helped a lot in reducing the breeding of mosquitoes", he further stated.