RANCHI: Qasim Ansari of Nayasarai village on the outskirts of Ranchi received a two-page letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday afternoon. In his letter, Modi outlined the Union government’s new Ayushman Bharat health scheme.“You can avail the scheme in hospitals in your area and selected health facilities across the country. I hope you will receive complete treatment without the need to worry about the expense and without hassles. I pray to God for your family’s wellbeing and prosperity,” the PM signed off.Ansari is not alone. Theresa Kacchap, a resident of Balalong village in Nagri block and Syeda Khatoon, another resident of Nayasarai, also received the letter undersigned by Modi. Ansari, Kacchap and Khatoon were among 17,600 people across Ranchi district in Jharkhand who are to get such customized letters on PM’s behalf.As the Union health and family welfare ministry’s ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) - also called Ayushman Bharat – nears its grand launch from Ranchi on September 23, the Modi government has kicked off a unique initiative to send customized letters to 10.74 crore families across the country who will be brought under the scheme. In the build up to the launch, roughly 2 lakh such letters will be distributed in Ranchi, Hazaribag and Deoghar districts of Jharkhand.“This is a proud moment for Jharkhand for the scheme is being launched from Ranchi. Those who are getting the letters are becoming a part of history,” health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi said to the Sahiyas, who are tasked with the distribution of the letters among the beneficiaries, at the community health center in Ratu outside Ranchi. Chandravanshi urged the district health officers to complete distribution of the letters before the PM’s scheduled arrival on Sunday.

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