'PMJAY to be world's largest free healthcare scheme'

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) is on its way to become the world's largest free healthcare scheme in just over five months of launch.

Billed as the world’s largest government healthcare programme, Ayushman Bharat is funded with 60 per cent contribution coming from the Centre and remaining from the states.

The central government aims to cover around 50 crore poor people.

"In just over five months of its launch #AyushmanBharat #PMJAY is well on its way to become the world’s largest free healthcare scheme with – 2.2 crore people issued e-cards and over 14 lakh people treated," Jaitley said in a tweet.

In another tweet, the Finance Minister said over 9.23 crore toilets have been constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission, taking the coverage of toilets from 39 per cent in October 2014 to 98.9 per cent in 30 states and Union Territories have become open defecation free.

"A national survey, conducted by an independent agency under the World Bank support to Swachh Bharat Mission, has found that 93.4 per cent of households in rural India who have access to toilet use it, showing that construction is also matched by a behavioural change in the usage of toilets," he added.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a cleanliness campaign, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014.