Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi launched the Centre's Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM)...

Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi launched the Centre's Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), here Sunday by distributing ID cards to beneficiaries. Health Secretary V Candavelou noted that 1.3 lakh families have been identified under the scheme, which aims to provide a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family. The beneficiaries would be entitled to health care in any of the empanelled hospitals, an official release said.

Bedi launches Ayushman Bharat health scheme in Pondy

The beneficiaries would also have the freedom of portability to get treated from any of the approved hospitals within and outside the State. The authentication of the beneficiary would be done at designated centres on the basis of the Aadhar number and biometric scanning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ayushman Bharat from Ranchi in Jharkhand and termed it a "game-changer initiative to serve the poor.