The Arogya Raksha Yojana Trust comprising Narayana Hrudayalaya and Biocon Foundation launched the Arogya Raksha Yojana (ARY), a unique healthcare scheme for rural India. Arogya Raksha Yojana has been launched in collaboration with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Private Limited.

ARY is a comprehensive health scheme for the rural people in the country who could now have affordable access to high quality healthcare provided by a network of renowned hospitals and clinics supported by leading doctors and surgeons. A person can avail of the ARY by paying an annual premium of Rs 120 per person. Besides providing against critical illness, the ARY would also provide the beneficiary with free or subsidized medical examination and low cost medicines.

The scheme not only covers people against critical illnesses and surgeries but also entitles them to free or subsidized medical examinations and low cost medicines. The first phase of this launch will touch over six lakh people residing in Anekal Taluk, Karnataka and will be taken across the state and the country in the months to come through franchisee, stated Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director, Biocon Limited.

The scheme would also take care of hospitalization expenses for three days at 12 hospitals spread across Bangalore. The first Arogya Raksha Yojana centre with a clinic, office and Biocare Pharmacy was inaugurated by Prof. Muhammad Yunus, managing director, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh at Huskur Village, Anekal Taluk, Karnataka.

With the Arogya Raksha Yojana, rural India can avail of free outpatient consultation, generic medicines at special rates from Network Hospital pharmacies and BioCare Pharmacies, Diagnostic tests at discounted rates at Network Hospitals, upto three days of hospitalization (without surgery) and free surgical interventions. BioCare Pharmacies will be managed by Karuna Trust, a charitable organization headed by Dr Sudarshan.

The BioCare Pharmacies would provide the people of rural India with high quality medicines at discounted prices.

Dr Devi Shetty, chairman, Narayana Hrudayalaya said, that the scheme woud initially cover one lakh people and then cover 6 lakh people in the taluk.

Smitha Aggarwal, Head - Rural & Agriculture Business Group, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company said, "ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company is committed to providing a whole range of insurance products to suit the needs of rural India. The need for health insurance products in these areas has been felt for a long time".

Biocon Foundation has been established provide quality healthcare and health education. It will provide high quality drugs at affordable prices to the masses at all BioCare Pharmacies and participating clinics. Arogya Raksha Yojana is the fist step taken by the Biocon Foundation in this direction.

Narayana Hrudayalaya is a super specialty cardiac hospital with necessary infrastructure and expertise to perform 25 major heart surgeries and over 20 cardiac catheterizations a day.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited is a 74:26 joint venture between ICICI Bank Limited - India's second largest bank and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited - a US$ 26 Billion diversified financial services corporate engaged in general insurance, reinsurance, insurance claims management and investment management.