New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that people from outside Delhi were landing up in the national capital to avail the free medical benefits.
Addressing an event in Delhi, Kejriwal said that people in Delhi had to stand in long queues inside hospitals to buy medicines and avail other healthcare facilities because of “people coming from outside to avail medical facilities here.”
“The situation is such that a person from Bihar buys a ticket to Delhi for Rs 500 and returns after availing free treatment worth Rs 5 lakhs. It makes us happy as they are people of our own country, but Delhi has its own capacity,” he added.
“How can Delhi serve people of the entire country? Hence there is a need to improve the healthcare services here,” Kejriwal said.
#WATCH Delhi CM: One person from Bihar buys a ticket to Delhi for Rs 500, returns after availing free treatment worth Rs 5 lakhs. While it makes us happy as they are people of our own country, but Delhi has its own capacity. How can Delhi serve people of entire country? (29.09) pic.twitter.com/5zXh5D4sjn
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) September 30, 2019
Kejriwal said that according to a survey conducted by his government in a hospital near the Delhi border, it was found that almost 80 % of the patients were from outside the national capital.
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“There are sufficient hospitals to treat the patients of Delhi and I believe that it will take only half an hour for one person if only Delhi people visit in a hospital. People come here from other regions in order to avail good and arrangements in the hospitals here,” the chief minister said.
This is not the first time that the state government has made the allegation of outsiders landing up to avail of medical facilities in the national capital.
Earlier in June, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said his government will not implement the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the capital and stated that the scheme should be implemented in other states.
(With inputs from ANI)