Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana - A Medical Assistance

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana - A Helping Hand

Introduction:
Central Government has launched a new scheme to provide help to the senior citizens who belong to the BPL category. The new scheme is known as the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana. The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot has launched this scheme in Gujrat recently. Under this scheme, physical aids and assisted living devices are given to the senior citizens under the BPL category. The scheme already has been launched in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. According to the Minister, this scheme must help the senior citizens to lead an independent and better life.

Objectives of Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana:

• The main objective of this scheme is to provide essential medical aids and assisted medical devices at free of cost to the senior people who belong to the BPL (Below Poverty Line) category.
• The scheme would help the senior citizen to overcome the physical age-related impairment and help them to lead a productive and dignified life with less dependence on others.

Eligibility Criteria of this Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana:

The senior citizen, who live below the Poverty Line and are suffering from any age related physical illness like hearing impairment, low vision, loco motor disability and loss of tooth etc., are eligible to get the benefits of this scheme.

Features of the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana:

• Under this scheme, Physical aids must be provided to the poor citizens. Apart from that, various assisted living devices like walking sticks, wheelchairs, elbow crutches tripods, quad pods, artificial dentures, wheelchair and spectacles would be provided to the eligible people at free of cost.
• The assisted living devices are given according to the particular disabilities of the person. If same person is suffering from multiple disabilities, the devices would be given as per each of the impairments.
• The scheme is completely funded by the Central Government and it is the first of its kind. The total expenditure of the scheme would be met from “Senior Citizen’s” Welfare Fund.
• The Scheme would be implemented by the implementing agency named Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO) which is a Public Sector Undertaking under the “Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment”.
• The ALIMCO would undertake the free maintenance for one year of these assisted living devices and physical aids.
• The devices would be distributed in camps.
• The duration of this scheme is for the period of 3 years (2017-2020). 
• The beneficiaries in all the districts would be identified by State Government or the Union Territory Administrations through the Committee headed by Deputy Commissioner or District Collector.
• 30% of the beneficiaries in all the districts should be woman.
• The State Government or the UT Administration or the Committee of district level can also use the data of these BPL beneficiaries who receive old age pension under the any of the schemes for the senior citizens of BPL category.

Conclusion:
According to the Census of 2011, the population of the senior people in India is approximately 10.38 Crore. Almost 70% of these populations live in the rural areas and approximately 5.2% of them suffer from some various age-related disabilities. This scheme is expected to provide help to these people for three years so that they can lead a dignified life without the help from others.

Key Points to Remember

• Central Government has launched Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana to provide help to the senior citizens who belong to the BPL category. 
• Under this scheme, essential medical aids and assisted medical devices are provided to the eligible people at free of cost.
• The scheme is completely funded by the Central Government and it is the first of its kind.