Ayushman Sahakar Scheme

Ayushman Sahakar Scheme is designed to be a supportive initiative that aims to provide financial assistance to cooperatives across the country, fostering the comprehensive growth of healthcare infrastructure. This scheme extends its coverage to various aspects of the nation’s health system, encompassing health infrastructure, health insurance, and the incorporation of technology in the health sector, aligning with the principles outlined in the National Health Policy of 2017.

What is Ayushman Sahakar Scheme?

On October 19, 2020, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), a part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, launched the Ayushman Sahakar Program. This initiative, born out of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed to cultivate a more robust healthcare infrastructure. It was the NCDC that not only conceptualized but also provided the necessary funding for the program. Under the caring watch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, the scheme took shape, with the responsibility for its formulation and funding resting firmly on the shoulders of the NCDC.

Objectives of the Ayushman Sahakar Scheme

Ayushman Sahakar Scheme focuses mainly on the development and promotion of health infrastructure. Besides this, the scheme looks forward to aligning itself with other schemes, missions, and programmes of the Government of India. The major objectives are:

Affordable Health Care: To provide necessary aid to cooperatives to provide affordable healthcare facilities to the public with better facilities.

National Digital Health Mission: To assist cooperatives in achieving the objectives of the National Digital Health Mission; To create a Digital Health Ecosystem supporting universal health coverage.

AYUSH Promotion: To promote AYUSH facilities via cooperative societies. It includes the six Indian medicine systems practised and prevalent in South Asia.

Comprehensive Healthcare: To provide financial assistance to cooperatives to develop a comprehensive healthcare system, including hospital infrastructure, education, services, and various other healthcare-related areas.

Salient Features of the Ayushman Sahakar Scheme

Salient Features of the Ayushman Sahakar Scheme:

The government is stepping up its efforts to boost the cooperative healthcare sector in India.
A substantial financial backing is being provided through the Ayushman Sahakar Fund, which boasts a significant corpus of Rs. 10,000 crores.
The focus is on supporting the growth and modernization of cooperative healthcare facilities across the country.
This support extends to various cooperative societies, including banks and credit societies, aiming to create a widespread impact.
The initiative actively promotes the establishment of essential healthcare infrastructure such as hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers.
There’s a strong emphasis on encouraging the adoption of modern healthcare technologies and implementing best practices in the sector.
The ultimate goal is to improve access to quality healthcare services, particularly in rural areas where such access is often limited.
By doing so, the initiative aims to enhance the cooperative sector’s involvement in government healthcare initiatives.
In essence, the initiative is geared towards uplifting the cooperative healthcare sector, making a substantial contribution to the overall development of healthcare infrastructure in the country.

Need For Ayushman Sahakar Scheme

The scheme helps to make the cooperative healthcare sector stronger.
It helps people get good healthcare, especially in rural and poor areas.
The scheme helps to update hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare centers.
The scheme aids cooperative organizations to upgrade their facilities and use new technology.
The scheme helps cooperative healthcare organizations work better with government healthcare programs.
The scheme helps cooperative organizations start and run healthcare facilities.
The scheme helps healthcare professionals in cooperative organizations get training.
This enables them to give better care.
The scheme helps improve healthcare in rural areas, where people often don’t have easy access to care.
The scheme encourages cooperative healthcare organizations to do research and develop new ways of providing care.
The scheme helps people stay healthy. It promotes things like exercise and eating healthy food.