Varanasi seniors receive Ayushman cards for free healthcare

VARANASI: A special camp for creating

Ayushman cards for seniors

over 70 years old in Varanasi district was organised at the SSPG Divisional Hospital, Kabirchaura, on Thursday. Former minister and city South MLA

Neelkanth Tiwari

distributed Ayushman cards to the beneficiaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Tiwari said that the beneficiaries can avail themselves of free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh under this scheme by getting admitted to any registered hospital. During the event, he personally created a card for Awadhesh Kumar Singh from Virdopur using his mobile.
He urged the beneficiaries to make their own Ayushman cards using mobile phones. He stated that the only eligibility criterion for availing benefits under this scheme is that the person must be 70 years or older. An Aadhaar card will be the only document required for enrolment.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Sandeep Chaudhary said that similar camps will continue to be organised in the coming days to benefit as many elderly people as possible. He said that Android users can download the app from the Play Store, and iPhone users can access it from the HSTP site.

Additionally, the elderly can create their Ayushman cards through self-registration via the Ayushman app, or with assistance from Ayushman Mitra, public service centres, Panchayat assistants at Panchayat secretariats, or through CHOs, ration dealers, and ASHA workers at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
The Additional Chief Medical Officer and Nodal Officer Dr S.S. Kanaujia said that 85 Ayushman cards were made for the elderly at the camp, and a total of 756 cards were created across the district. He stated that Aadhaar-based e-KYC will be mandatory for issuing Ayushman cards for eligible senior citizens in both existing and new families.
An additional shared top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year will be provided for senior citizens aged 70 and above in families already covered under AB PM-JAY.