Pooja Thapa from Meghalaya, who turned out to be 1 croreth beneficiary of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, was in for a surprise when Prime Minister Modi called her on Wednesday.
Pooja, a home maker whose husband is in the army, was getting treated at a hospital in Shillong. She was recovering from an operation that was conducted yesterday.
Prime Minister Modi speaking to her on the phone told Mrs. Pooja that she is the 1 croreth beneficiary of the scheme. Asking her if she knew about the government’s scheme, Pooja responded positively and said that she had submitted the applications required and that the operation concluded successfully and she was doing well.
Mr. Modi said that whenever he was on his official tours, he would often interact with beneficiaries of the scheme to get feedback and ask for suggestions to improve the scheme. He expressed his inability to do the same considering the ensuing situation. He said that reaching 1 crore beneficiaries was a milestone for the scheme and that too a person from a soldier’s family being the 1 croreth beneficiary was a matter of honour and pride.
When PM Modi asked how much she was being charged for her treatment, Mrs. Pooja said that the doctors haven’t charged her anything and all costs are being covered under the Ayushman Bharat card. Mr. Modi said that she need not pay for the medicines too as those would get covered under the scheme.
PM Modi when asked her for suggestions, Mr. Pooja said “What suggestion do I give? This is such a good scheme.” She thanked the Prime Minister for launching the scheme which has helped her and said that other people in her area are also well aware about the scheme.
Mr. Modi wished her speedy recovery and added that she did the right thing by asking her children to stay with her neighbours till she recovered while her husband is away on duty in Manipur. He expressed solidarity that she had to endure the difficulties in these tough times and added that she educate her children and bring them up in life.
Here is the full audio recording of the call.