Kejriwal announces free health scheme for elderly

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal announced a new healthcare initiative on Wednesday, promising free treatment for all citizens aged above 60, regardless of income.

- Paras Singh

The scheme, titled Sanjivani Yojana, will be launched if AAP comes to power in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.

According to Kejriwal, the scheme will cover free treatment at both government and private hospitals across the city with no upper limits on the cost of treatment. "All senior citizens, regardless of income, will receive free treatment in a facility of their choice-government or private. There will not be income limits, and all senior citizens-rich or poor-will be incorporated. There will be no upper limits on treatment costs as well. All expenses on treatment will be borne by the Delhi government," Kejriwal said during a press conference.

While all treatment in government hospitals is already free, Kejriwal did not provide clarity on how the government would manage costs at private hospitals.

The AAP has promised to issue smart health cards to beneficiaries, which will cover the treatment cost directly reimbursed to the hospitals.

It did not detail the modalities of the scheme, how much the programme would cost, or how it would cover expenses for the plan.

The party estimates that around 2.5 million elderly people will benefit from the scheme, which will be available to all senior citizens with a Delhi voter ID. Kejriwal also mentioned that volunteers would visit homes to register eligible citizens for the scheme.

The announcement is part of AAP's welfare measures ahead of the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, some hospitals in the city also said it was unclear how the scheme differed from an existing one that guaranteed free health care for patients.