New Delhi: Comics featuring iconic cartoon characters Motu and Patlu are all set to promote the Narendra Modi government’s flagship health insurance scheme — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) or Ayushman Bharat.
This will be the first time that the government will spread awareness about a scheme through comics.
The National Health Authority (NHA), the agency responsible for implementing the PM-JAY, has already published the comics, which will soon be distributed in over 7 lakh government schools across the country.
Schools in Delhi, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal will not get the comics as they are yet to join the scheme.
“The comics will be distributed in the government-run schools in the states, which have taken up the scheme. We have printed the comics in two languages — Hindi and English. However, we have asked the states to publish the comics in their regional languages as well. For instance, in Mumbai, the comics will be distributed in Marathi,” Dr Indu Bhushan, Chief Executive Officer, Ayushman Bharat, told ThePrint.
The 27-page vibrant and colourful book titled ‘Master Ayushman’ not only gives details about the facilities provided under the scheme, but also informs the readers about how to avail the benefits.
The comics also feature struggles of a poor man in undergoing costly cardiac or knee replacement surgeries and inform the readers about how Ayushman Bharat can help them avail free treatment.
The books have been printed and published by Gulshan Rai, founder of Diamond Comics, which created popular comic characters like Chacha Chaudhary, Billoo, Pinki, besides Motu-Patlu.
Also read: Modi govt’s Ayushman Bharat likely to cover over 90 cr people — 70% of total population
Objective is to trace ‘missing’ beneficiaries
Launched on 25 September last year, the cashless scheme provides an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family to more than 10.74 crore poor families — about 50 crore people.
The scheme covers secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation, which includes critical procedures, including cardiac surgeries, organ transplants, and fixing stents and implants.
Sources said one of the objectives behind publishing the comics with details about Ayushman Bharat is to trace the ‘missing’ beneficiaries.
The NHA had last year conducted a survey to trace the beneficiaries using the 2011 socio-economic caste census data. The agency found 84 per cent beneficiaries in rural areas and 65 per cent in urban areas. Some reports last year had pegged the missing beneficiaries at around 6.5 million out of the total 50 crore beneficiaries.
The NHA, however, did not conduct a survey on beneficiaries this year.
The comics also take a dig at UPA govt
Among other stories, the comics narrate the story of a boy named Bharat, who learns about the scheme through his schoolteacher and then goes on to inform others about it. Bharat also explains the nitty-gritty of the scheme — the process of checking the eligibility criteria, the documents required, generation of e-cards, admission in hospitals and post-discharge facilities.
The book also gives out toll-free numbers and e-mail ids for people seeking more information about the scheme.
The comics also take a dig at the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government by featuring a female cartoon character with a sad face that says, “I wish Ayushman Bharat Yojana had been launched a few years ago.”
The opening page in the book has an ‘Ayushman Pledge’ to create a ‘healthy India’ and the last page features a quiz on the scheme.
Besides, the book also promotes Modi government’s ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’, which is a savings scheme for girls under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.
Also read: Why Modi’s Ayushman Bharat failed in Nitish Kumar’s Bihar as encephalitis killed over 120 kids