On November 02, 2021, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah launched the health cards scheme for CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) personnel and their dependents, named ‘Ayushmaan CAPF’ at the national level in New Delhi.
Background:
i.‘Ayushmaan CAPF’ scheme is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and National Health Authority (NHA).
ii.The scheme was launched by Amit Shah on Pilot basis in Assam on 23rd January, 2021 to provide healthcare services to all CAPFs.
Key Points:
i.Beneficiaries: The scheme will cover all serving personnel and their dependents of the 7 CAPFs under MHA, namely, Assam Rifles (ARs), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Security Guard (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
ii.Through this scheme, the CAPF personnel and their families were enabled to avail cashless in-patient and out-patient healthcare facilities at all Hospitals empanelled under Ayushmaan Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) or CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme).
iii.As a part of Pan-India roll out of the Scheme, the health cards will be distributed to all CAPFs which include serving force personnel and their family members. About 35 Lakh cards were scheduled to be distributed by December, 2021.
iv.The number of cards distributed will be displayed on the website of the MHA (on a daily basis).
v.The process of distribution of health cards across CAPFs was started on the occasion of ‘Dhanvantri Pooja’, which is celebrated in the honour of ‘The God of Medicine’.
vi.NHA has created an online grievance management system with a toll-free helpline 14588 for the project.
Recent Related News:
The Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) Valour Day is annually observed across India on 9th April to honour the valour of the Martyrs and the bravehearts of the 2 CRPF companies who fought against Pakistan at Sardar Post, Gujarat in 1965.
About Ministry of Home affairs:
Union Minister – Amit Shah (Constituency – Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)
Minister of State – Ajay Kumar Mishra (Kheri, Uttar Pradesh), Nityanand Rai (Constituency – Ujiarpur, Bihar), Nisith Pramanik (Constituency – Coochbehar, West Bengal)
