Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said more than 60 crore beneficiaries now have access to Rs 5 lakh annual health cover under Ayushman Bharat, as the flagship healthcare programme completed eight years.
In a post on X marking the occasion, Modi said Ayushman Bharat was rolled out eight years ago with the idea that every Indian should have access to quality and affordable healthcare.
"Today, more than 60 crore beneficiaries have access to Rs 5 lakh annual health cover making it the largest healthcare scheme in the world," he said in his post.
"It has enabled record savings on medical expenses, thus benefitting the poor and middle class," he said.
"Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have already recorded over 500 crore visits, strengthening primary healthcare at the grassroots," he said.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda, in a separate post on X, said more than 60 crore people were covered under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), with 48.54 crore Ayushman cards created so far.
More than 13 crore people have already availed treatment under the scheme, while hospitalisation and treatment worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore has been availed through over 39,000 empanelled public and private hospitals across the country, Nadda said.According to government data, over 48.51 crore people had Ayushman cards as of September 21, while AB-PMJAY had funded 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore through more than 38,000 empanelled public and private hospitals as of August 31.
Nadda said the significance of these numbers went beyond statistics, pointing to families protected from the burden of medical expenses and patients receiving timely treatment without the fear of financial hardship.
"Behind every number is a story - a family protected from the burden of medical debt, a patient receiving timely treatment, a loved one relieved of pain, and a household able to face illness without the fear of financial hardship.
"Hearing directly from beneficiaries and witnessing their experiences is a powerful reminder of the impact of this historic journey of Seva," Nadda said in his post."Guided by the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, we remain steadfast in our commitment to strengthen an accessible, affordable and inclusive healthcare system, ensuring that every citizen can access quality healthcare with dignity and without financial hardship.
"More than half a billion lives covered. Millions of stories of hope. One unwavering Sankalp - Seva and Health for All," he stated.AB-PMJAY was launched on September 23, 2018, to provide cashless hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care. It is the financial protection component of the broader Ayushman Bharat programme. The programme also includes Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which seek to strengthen comprehensive primary healthcare, along with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.