Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj took a dig at the Centre over its Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme on Thursday, claiming that it "exists only on paper".

The minister said this during his visit to the Delhi government-run GB Pant Hospital.

According to a statement issued by the Delhi government, Bharadwaj visited the hospital to meet patients on the occasion of Diwali, share festive greetings and distribute fruits.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are engaged in a political battle over the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which has not been implemented in the national capital.

During his visit to the hospital, the minister reviewed healthcare services and received feedback from patients and their families, the statement said.

Bharadwaj noted that approximately 80 percent of the patients he met were from BJP-ruled states, such as Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and travelled long distances to seek treatment in Delhi.

He questioned why, despite the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the presence of private hospitals in nearby areas like Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram, patients from these states were still compelled to seek care in hospitals run by the Delhi government.

He criticised Ayushman Bharat, calling it "a scheme that exists only on paper", for failing to deliver substantial benefits to underprivileged citizens.

Bharadwaj said if the scheme was genuinely effective, patients would not need to make such long journeys for treatment.

"The Ayushman Bharat scheme, as promoted by the central government, is failing to support the people it claims to serve," he said.

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