Maharashtra: In a first, the Maharashtra Prisons Department with the help of a Mumbai based organisation, has started distributing Ayushman Bharat Card to prison inmates. The initiative has started at Satara Jail. With the Ayushman Bharat Card, all hospital expenses below Rs 5 lakh are covered free of cost.
According to the Satara Jail sources, currently around 350, including 16 female undertrial inmates are lodged inside the jail. "We have taken an initiative that those lodged in the jail should be provided Ayushman Bharat Card. The basic requirement to get these cards is ration card and aadhar card," said a prison official.
Jail Officials Speak About The Initiative
"Most of the inmates lodged inside the prison belong from a poor background. We thought that if we can get the Ayushman Bharat Card provided to the inmate, who would leave the prison some day and would require medical need, can avail medical benefits through this card and major and minor expenses upto Rs 5 lakh can be availed through this card," said the official.
"As of now if the inmate is lodged in the jail, whatever cost of his medical expense would be there, it would be borne by the state government, since he is under the state government jail. This card would be beneficial for the inmate once he/she would leave the jail and come into mainstream society," the official said.
The official said that on a monthly basis several inmates leave and enter the jail, after securing the bail and committing the offence. "From Monday onwards, we have started efforts to give free of cost cards to all the prisoners in jail and Samta Foundation from Mumbai is giving us the support of getting this card made from the inmates. As of now 45 inmates have got their cards and 5 jail staffers have also got their card. The initiative will be undertaken in other jails across the state," said Shamkant Shedge Superintendent Satara Jail.
