National Health Authority and South Eastern and Eastern Railways join hands to organize Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY drive at Garden Reach Hospital, Kolkata

Kolkata, August 29, 2019: PM-JAY Ayushman Bharat in collaboration with the South Easternand Eastern Railways, organizedan Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) Beneficiary Identification and awarenessdrive at Garden Reach Hospital, Kolkata, whereinapprox.100contractual staff and ad hoc labour were screened to identify the beneficiaries and their families.

This drive is being organized to increase awareness about the Government of India’s flagship scheme AB PM-JAY and the benefits offered under the scheme. It will enable the contractual staff of the Railways and their families to verify their eligibility under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY at the Beneficiary Identification system (BIS) kiosks. This will help the identified beneficiaries avail secondary and tertiary treatment for serious illnesses anywhere across the country. The objective behind the execution of this drive was to understand the feasibility level of BIS rollout via empaneled hospitals, wherein 14 hospitals under South Eastern and Eastern Railwayswere responsible for their kiosk.Earlier in Mumbai and Delhi, the execution of BIS drive enabled us to understand the feasibility level of BIS rollout via CSC. Both the models were successful in implementing the BIS drive. The pilot drive executed wasthe base for the large-scale rollout drives will be planned for Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway zones at Sealdah and Kharagpur railway station respectively to identify beneficiaries and their families especially from the contractual population working with the Railways and raise awareness about Ayushman Bharat -Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY).

Earlier this year, National Health Authority signed an MoU with the Ministry of Railways empaneling 91 hospitals covering 17 zones in 19 states under PM-JAY. This fourth drive is a step forward to streamline processes of healthcare delivery in the country by bringing in railway hospitals in the PM-JAY network and enable more and more people to seek and avail inpatient care at the country’s best hospitals. In line with this initiative, one pilot has already been successfully conducted on 1st June 2019 in Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (under Central Railways) and at Mumbai Central (under Western Railways)which was followed by a second drive on 18^th June 2019 at Chennai Central (under Southern Railways) and a third drive on 25^th June at New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station and Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (under Indian Railways).

Sharing their views, Dr.  Kshirod Chandra Sahoo, Principal Chief Medical Director, Eastern Railways and Dr. Ranjan Kumar Pani, Principal Chief Medical Director, Eastern Railways highlighted that their partnership with the National Health Authority is a step forward in enabling quality healthcare and access to the patients. They look forward to a productive partnership.Before executing this pilot drive, a regional level capacity building workshop was also executed for Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway at B.R. Singh Hospital, Sealdah on August 26, 2019 for its successful implementation.

Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO, AB-PMJAY and National Health Authority said, “With successful drives in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi earlier, this collaboration with Eastern and South Eastern railways will enable us tofurther expand our network to provide quality inpatient care. Across all drives we have received incredible response from the railway staff and karamcharis and we look forward to effectively drive awareness about Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY among potential beneficiaries. We deeply appreciateEastern and South Eastern railways’ support in helping us expand our network by empaneling their hospitals with us.”

Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)