Summary:
There has been an increase in the number of hospitals application from rural districts under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme (AB-PMJAY), but rural folks continue to throng cities to avail health services. According to the officials, due to lack of facilities in rural areas, people from rural areas prefer to take benefits of the scheme from city hospitals. "We get applications from private as well as public hospitals from rural areas. The State Health Assurance Society (SHAS) stated that the PMJAY has been started in 492 hospitals in the state. In such situation, rural populace trusts the urban hospitals which have better facilities," said Dr Sudhakar Shinde, CEO, Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY)..