West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that her government’s flagship health scheme Swasthya Sathi was inclusive, unlike the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat, which she alleged excluded common people based on minor assets.
“We refused to join Ayushman Bharat scheme because it excludes the common man. Why should I differentiate between rich and poor for healthcare?” Banerjee said while inaugurating a new 10-storey block at state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata.
Banerjee highlighted that over 8.72 crore people from 2.45 crore families have benefited under Swasthya Sathi so far. “An average of 7,000 patients are availing treatment under Swasthya Sathi every day, and the state has spent Rs 12,000 crore on the scheme to date… Unlike Ayushman Bharat, we do not exclude people based on what they own. Even if you have a scooter, a smartphone or a small asset, we won’t disqualify you,” she said.
18 New Healthcare Projects Inaugurated
At SSKM Hospital, Banerjee inaugurated the Rs 67-crore Ananya wing under Woodburn Block 2, a 10-storey facility housing 131 cabins with subsidised daily charges. She also launched and laid foundation stones for 18 healthcare projects worth Rs 262 crore, including the state’s first robotic surgery system in the government sector and eastern India’s first bone bank at Sambhunath Pandit Hospital.
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Of these projects, 15 worth Rs 162 crore were inaugurated, while foundation stones were laid for three others worth Rs 100 crore. Banerjee also announced that SSKM will soon house a cord blood bank and a dedicated cancer treatment block being developed with Tata Memorial Hospital. Another cancer facility is coming up at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
She noted that the state’s health budget has risen from Rs 3,584 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 21,355 crore in 2024-25, a nearly six-fold increase, and said West Bengal has invested over Rs 70,000 crore in developing medical infrastructure.
Mamata Banerjee Flags Revenue Loss, Flood Challenges
On broader governance concerns, Banerjee criticised the Centre over economic policies, alleging stoppage of GST compensation. “We are facing revenue loss and receiving no compensation. Other states are getting it, why not us?” she asked.
Discussing West Bengal’s vulnerability to floods, she cited upstream water flows from Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Bihar and Jharkhand. “It’s like West Bengal is floating like a boat,” she quipped.
Reflecting on health sector progress, Banerjee said, “Once, institutional delivery was below 4 per cent. Today, it stands at 99.5 per cent. Earlier, many children didn’t even have birth certificate but today, our children are born in hospitals.”
She also noted that many Bills passed by the state assembly remain pending with the governor. “We will resend them, as directed by the Supreme Court,” she said.
