Kolkata, Nov. 3 -- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that the state's flagship health scheme, 'Swasthya Sathi', has crossed one crore hospitalisations as of October 31, with cashless benefits worth Rs 13,156 crore provided entirely from the state budget.
Highlighting its inclusivity, Banerjee said that any Bengal resident not covered under another state-sponsored scheme is eligible for 'Swasthya Sathi', which now covers over 8.5 crore people.
She credited the scheme's success to a robust IT platform and timely payments to hospitals, ensuring reliable service delivery.
Calling it a "lifeline" for the underprivileged, Banerjee noted that over 6,000 patients underwent free critical surgeries last year, reiterating her stand that Swasthya Sathi is more inclusive than the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.