Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has written to the chief ministers of Delhi, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal, urging them to join the Centre's flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), as the ultimate beneficiary of this collaboration will be the poor and vulnerable people of the country.
Mr Vardhan had also spoken to Arvind Kejriwal, Naveen Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee, the respective chief ministers of Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal, and was trying to connect with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, a statement from the health ministry said.
Taking stock of the situation that the three states and one Union Territory (UT) were yet to join the AB-PMJAY, Vardhan, in his letter to the chief ministers, said, "It is important that the benefits of a visionary scheme like Ayushman Bharat should reach all the deprived and vulnerable people in the country.
"I will make all efforts to convince the remaining states and the UT to bring the benefits of the scheme to their people and ensure that no eligible person is deprived of these benefits."