Kerala received the award for being one of the ‘Best Performing States’ at the Arogya Manthan 2022 on Monday, September 26, while celebrating completion of four years of Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). Kerala was awarded for being the number one state in providing the highest number of free medical treatments to the public. State Health Minister Veena George was awarded by the Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya in a function held in Delhi.
According to a press statement from the Kerala Health Minister, 15% of the free medical treatment provided in India was provided in Kerala, under the state’s Ayushman Bharat-Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati (AB-KASP). The health insurance scheme has one of the maximum utilisations in the country, the statement read, adding, “Government Medical Colleges Kozhikode and Kottayam are leading in the highest number of scheme utilization in the country. The reason for choosing Kerala was that the scheme could benefit up to 180 patients per hour (maximum 3 patients per minute).”
“Rs 1636.07 crore have been spent in providing free treatment to 43.4 lakh persons since the formation of KASP. Currently, the service of the scheme is available in 200 government hospitals and 544 private hospitals in Kerala,” it read.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Twitter saying, “Kerala's Public health soars to new heights as we won the award at #ArogyaManthan2022 for providing the highest number of free medical treatments. So far, through Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP), Kerala has spent ₹1636.07 CR for the treatment of 43.4 lakh beneficiaries.”
Kerala's Public health soars to new heights as we won the award at #ArogyaManthan2022 for providing the highest number of free medical treatments. So far, through Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP), Kerala has spent ₹1636.07 CR for the treatment of 43.4 lakh beneficiaries.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) September 26, 2022
The Ayushman Utkrishtata Puraskaar (Ayushman Excellence Awards) 2022 were also awarded to Andhra Pradesh (Top Performing State/UT), Parvathipuram Manyam in Andhra Pradesh (Top Performing District), District Hospital Dharwad in Karnataka (Top Performing Government Facility), Kerala, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Manipur, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh (Best Performing States), Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir (Best Performing UTs).
“There should be no space for fraud in AB-PMJAY which aims for healthcare of the poorest from the society. We need to use all available technology tools to remove even the smallest scope for any fraud,” Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said during the event.