65-year-old Dilip Khurana and his wife Madhu (60) have spent a lot of money in private hospitals for various diseases. Madhu, a resident of DDA Flats in Sunlight Colony near Jangpura, has thyroid, blood pressure and diabetes problems while Dileep has high blood pressure. The couple has no health insurance.
Madhu said that they prefer to go to a private hospital even though it costs more because the government takes a long time to make appointments and tests.
So when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal called to hand over the ‘Kejriwal Kavach’ card on Monday, the couple was relieved. The card guarantees free treatment to all Delhi voters above the age of 60 in government and private hospitals, under the party’s recently launched Sanjeevani Yojana, if the AAP returns to power after the elections.
The Khuranas, whose house Kejriwal first visited, said if the AAP government wins and the city gets the scheme, it will take a load off their backs. Dilip, who has a small business of repairing spare parts, said, ‘We have spent a lot of money on treatment in a private hospital. Now the sons take care of the family and finances.
Last year, Madhu had to be admitted to the hospital to get insulin which cost Rs 70,000 including admission fee and tests. He has been suffering from diabetes for 20 years,” he added.
“If the party comes to power, it will help us a lot,” said Madhu.
Promoting one of the biggest promises ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched the registration process under the Sanjeevani scheme in Jangpura. Along with the party workers, he went to the houses around Sunlight Colony and handed over the cards to 5-6 people.
During his visit, Kejriwal personally briefed residents about the scheme, checked their voter ID cards and helped them fill registration forms.
“Registration for Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana has started today. We have started registration for Mahila Samman Yojana from New Delhi Constituency. Now, we have started registration for Sanjeevani Yojana in Jangpura Constituency. Here we have registered some senior citizens,” He said.
After his son got a job as an architect in a private firm, Shyamendra Saini, who worked as a civil draftsman for 30 years until 2020, said that if this plan works, it will be of great benefit to him and his family.
Neither she nor her son have health insurance. “I had taken insurance but the policy lapsed because I couldn’t pay the premium,” said the 62-year-old.
Saini has diabetes and goes for regular check-ups at a private hospital near his Jangpura home, where he spends well on tests and counselling. “One consultation costs at least one thousand rupees. The test can cost anywhere from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500,” he said.
Taxi driver Kishan Lal says his experience at government mohalla clinics and dispensaries was not good – medicines were not available when he went. A 63-year-old man suffering from diabetes said he would go to Holy Family Hospital for a checkup. He added, ‘I spend around Rs 8,000-10,000 every month – half of my salary – on treatment.
He didn’t get the card today. But if he too gets it and the Kejriwal government comes back to power, he is hopeful that the Sanjeevani scheme will help.
Announcing the drive on X (earlier Twitter), Kejriwal wrote, “… we have registered some elderly people for this scheme today. All elderly people in Delhi are like my parents, their treatment is my responsibility. Our team will go door to door and register all the elderly people.” .
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