New Delhi: As Ayushman Bharat completes eight years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the scheme was launched with the aim of ensuring that every Indian has access to quality and affordable healthcare.
He said that more than 60 crore beneficiaries now have access to an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh, making Ayushman Bharat the largest healthcare scheme in the world.
PM Modi took to social media ‘X’, saying, “Eight years ago, Ayushman Bharat was rolled out with the idea that every Indian should have access to top-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.”
“It has enabled record savings on medical expenses, thus benefitting the poor and middle class. And healthcare is moving closer to every doorstep. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have already recorded over 500 crore visits, strengthening primary healthcare at the grassroots. My best wishes to all Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries,” he said.
PM Modi also shared a post by MyGovIndia highlighting the achievements of Ayushman Bharat over the past eight years.
MyGovIndia said, “All is well. Three words we turn to when life gets tough. But what happens when those words meet a healthcare system built to deliver? 8 years of Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest health protection scheme, have helped millions of Indian families access quality healthcare without letting treatment costs stand in the way.”
According to the post, free treatments under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY have helped families save more than Rs 2 lakh crore in healthcare expenses.
It added that more than 38,000 hospitals are now part of the Ayushman network nationwide, providing families with more healthcare facilities when they need treatment.
“Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY has facilitated over 13 crore hospital admissions, putting its health protection cover to work at scale,” MyGovIndia said.
The post further said that six crore senior citizens aged above 70 are now covered under Ayushman Bharat, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
It also highlighted that 1.86 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are bringing primary healthcare closer to communities and making essential care more accessible.
More than 500 crore footfalls have been recorded at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, indicating the growing reach of primary healthcare services across communities.
MyGovIndia also said that nearly one in two Ayushman Cards belong to women, making them a significant part of the scheme’s coverage.
The post said more than 42 crore screenings for diabetes and hypertension, along with crores of screenings for oral, breast and cervical cancers, have been conducted to help identify health risks at an early stage.
It added that more than 30 lakh treatments worth over Rs 8,800 crore have been availed outside beneficiaries’ home states, highlighting the portability of Ayushman Bharat coverage across the country.
“60+ crore people are covered under Ayushman Bharat with health cover of Rs 5 lakh, offering financial protection when serious medical care is needed,” it said.
“From a promise of health protection to millions of families experiencing it on the ground, eight years of Ayushman Bharat have made ‘All Is Well’ mean a little more,” MyGovIndia said.
(IANS)
