New Delhi, Jan 28 (UNI) President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that nearly 8 lakh senior citizens have received free inpatient treatment in hospitals under the Vay Vandana Scheme, an elderly care initiative linked to the Ayushman Bharat programme, during her ceremonial pre-Budget address to Parliament.
Referring to enrolment under the scheme, the President said that over one crore senior citizens have been issued Vay Vandana cards in the last one-and-a-half years, enabling beneficiaries to access free treatment at empanelled hospitals.
Murmu also outlined the government’s broader public health initiatives, particularly those aimed at economically marginalised communities. Since the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in 2018, she said the government has provided more than 11 crore instances of free hospital treatment across the country, including around 2.5 crore patients in the last year alone.
“My government has fought a decisive battle against major diseases,” Murmu said, citing large-scale screening under the Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, under which more than 6.5 crore citizens have been screened, particularly in tribal areas.
She also referred to disease-control campaigns conducted in “mission mode”, stating that illnesses such as Japanese Encephalitis have been effectively contained in several less-developed and rural regions of Uttar Pradesh.
The President further noted that the World Health Organization has declared India free from trachoma, an infectious eye disease.
In addition, Murmu reiterated the government’s push to expand insurance coverage through schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. According to figures cited in the address, claims exceeding Rs 24,000 crore have been disbursed under these schemes, providing financial support to low-income households during crisis situations.
The address was delivered ahead of the union Budget, where further allocations for public health and social welfare programmes are expected to be outlined.
