The central government has decided to provide free health insurance worth 5 lakh to orphaned children up to the age of 18 due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. Anurag Thakur, a Union minister, made the announcement.
The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES) will pay the premium, he added.
Thakur announced the scheme on Twitter, along with a link to a government website detailing the Centre’s efforts to make India self-sufficient.
“As part of the steps taken to take care of children affected by Covid-19, children up to 18 years will be provided free health insurance of ₹5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat and its premium will be paid by PM CARES,” Thakur said in his tweet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat, the government’s flagship scheme, in April 2018 with its twin pillars of Health & Wellness Centers (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), with bidirectional linkages between the two for providing the full range of services across the continuum of care.
PM Modi launched the PM-CARES for Children scheme on May 29, 2021. It aims to assist children who have lost both parents, legal guardians, adoptive parents, or surviving parents due to the Covid-19 pandemic beginning March 11, 2020.
The scheme’s goal is to provide long-term comprehensive care and protection for children, as well as to enable their well-being through health insurance, empower them through education, and equip them for self-sufficiency with financial assistance once they reach the age of 23.
