Bengaluru: Ayushman cards to all citizens at Panchayat level must be issued in six-months, said Health Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar.
He claimed that Karnataka is the first State to implement the Ayushman Bharath scheme, having spent more than Rs. 960 Crore on it.
The Minister was speaking on the occasion of Ayushman Diwas-Arogya Manthana on Saturday April 30. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Ayushman card has made free healthcare available to all citizens, and officers must ensure that every citizen receives the card,” he said.
Over 6.68 Crore people have visited health and wellness centres for treatment. With 997 Jan Aushadi Kendras, the state ranks third in the country, he stressed.
The Minister went on to say that non-communicable disease screening must be prioritised by government medical officers, and people should monitor their food and lifestyle habits. All public health centres should conduct blood pressure and diabetes screenings, and reports should be sent to the department and compiled at the State- level. He also administered oaths to 6,085 community health officers and other medical professionals virtually.
He presented awards to the best-performing districts, including Chikkamagaluru, which was ranked first in the country for noncommunicable disease screening, and Ballari, which was recognised for the best implementation of health and wellness care centres as well as telemedicine.
Meanwhile, Hassan got the award for overall achievement in health services.
