Dubai: India is all set to launch the world's largest healthcare scheme, Ayushman Bharat, covering 100 million underprivileged five-member families. The scheme to be launched on India's 70th Independence Day, August 15, provides Rs5 million (Dh261,965) in insurance coverage to each family. The initiative is being undertaken by the Government of India in its pursuit of providing best healthcare to the poor.
Speaking about this unique scheme, General Dr Vijay Kumar Singh l, Minister of state for External Affairs, greeted the Indian diaspora on the eve of Independence Day at the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
Dr Singh invited all successful expatriates to continue doing the good work they have been doing and once in a while to look back to India and extend a helping hand there.
He added: "Our government is working on policies to raise the standards of the poor, neglected and underprivileged and are devising major programme and policy to ensure a society and not bond by caste, creed or religion."
Dr Singh is well known for his work extricating stranded Indians in Yemen and bringing back the bodies of Indians murdered in Iraq.
Navdeep Singh Suri, The Indian ambassador to the UAE, welcomed the minister and pointed out the strategic partnerships between India and UAE in several business and infrastructural projects.
"There are 3.5 million Indians living in the UAE and they represent 33 per cent of UAE's population. This strong diaspora makes a $15 billion [Dh55 billion] in remittances annually ."
Suri enumerated the numerous strategic bilateral trade agreements and investments that the two countries are involved in particularly by UAE giants such as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), ADNOC, DP World and Emaar.
Dr BR Shetty, chairman of the NMC group, enumerated the various healthcare investments made by his group in India. The programme was marked by a cultural function that included traditional Kathak and Bharat Natyam recitals .
