Union Health Minister hits back at Kejriwal over Ayushman Bharat

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday rebutted Arvind Kejriwal's claim that Delhi government's health scheme is "ten times bigger and comprehensive" than the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat programme and said the chief minister's "callous" response shows he is "least interested" in the welfare of the people of Delhi.

Vardhan shot off a second letter to the Delhi chief minister as the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme became yet another bone of contention between the Centre and the Delhi government, which has refused to implement it in the city.

After the Union Health Minister wrote to Kejriwal pressing him on the issue, the chief minister had replied on Friday that the Delhi Government has introduced free health care and, therefore, need not implement the central scheme.

But Vardhan hit back saying all 'fancy schemes" of the AAP government", "including the much-touted Universal Coverage Health Scheme, announced more than a year ago, are still lying on the drawing ...