Kavaratti, Jul 29 (PTI) Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel on Thursday launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), worlds largest government funded health insurance scheme in Lakshadweep for the welfare of islanders.

In an inaugural event held here, the Ayushman Cards were personally distributed by the Administrator to the beneficiaries.

According to a statement issued by the administration, in Lakshadweep 12,320 beneficiary families will be covered under PM-JAY including 1,425 SECC (Socio Economic Caste Census) and 10,895 Non SECC families.

"The scheme will give an annual healthcare benefit of up to Rs 5 lakh for every entitled family.

This Modi-care scheme will act as a big relief to over 45,000 residents of Lakshadweep who currently are meeting the health expenditure from their own pocket.

Now onwards people of Lakshadweep will also be on board to the world's largest health insurance scheme," the statement said.

The administration said the PM-JAY will be implemented in Lakshadweep under insurance mode. "Iffco-Tokio general insurance company has been selected as Implementation Support Agency (ISA).

This scheme will also cover the transportation charges during evacuation of patients from Lakshadweep to Kochi @ Rs 10,000/- per beneficiary with maximum 2 escorts," it said. PM-JAY will provide cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital, the administration said.

It said Lakshadweep will initially follow the Hospital Benefit Package (HBP) 2.0 and will migrate subsequently to HBP 2.1 after a year.

"As of now there are five government empanelled health institutions in Lakshadweep. They are IGH, Kavaratti, RGSH, Agatti, Govt Hospital, Minicoy, CHC, Andrott and Amini.

However, the beneficiaries can avail medical treatment in any of the empanelled hospitals outside Lakshadweep under portability scheme of PM-JAY," the administration added. There are around 1,400 procedures that will be covered under the scheme like all the costs related to treatment, including but not limited to drugs, supplies, diagnostic services, physician's fees, room charges, surgeon charges, OT and ICU charges etc.

Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB- PMJAY) is a revolutionary flagship programme of Govt of India which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2018.

The administration said todays launch of PM-JAY is among the series of welfare measures that Administrator Patel has initiated in the health sector in Lakshadweep besides the decision to set up a Paramedical College, a Nursing college and major up gradation of the existing health facilities across government hospitals in Lakshadweep.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)