Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is playing an important role in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make India a developed nation by 2047. Addressing the gathering at the valedictory session, Arogya Manthan 2023 in New Delhi, the Union Minister said, the government is working to make health services accessible and affordable to every person in the country under the AB PM -JAY scheme. The Minister said to build a healthy India, a scheme like AB PM-JAY is needed. He said, he has not seen any such scheme since independence, which has removed social inequality. The two-day event was organised by the National Health Authority to mark the fifth year of implementation of AB PMJAY and the second year of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
The Union Minister said, 25 crore Ayushman Bharat cards have been made and over 5.5 crore people have got the benefits under the scheme. He added that by implementing Ayushman Bharat women today feel empowered and they get treatment at an affordable rate. He highlighted that females account for approximately 49 percent of Ayushman card recipients, verified under the PM-JAY IT platform. Mr Mandaviya said more than 48 percent of authorized hospital admissions have been availed by women while over 141 medical procedures under PM-JAY are exclusively earmarked for women. He said that transgender was also brought under the ambit of this scheme which ensured gender justice in the country.
Talking about the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, Mr Mandaviya said Digital health is a rising sector in the country and plays an essential role in the health sector. Dr. Mandaviya also stated that the ABDM, which was started on 27 September 2021, is a very ambitious government programme aimed at constructing a digital highway connecting all the important players in healthcare ecosystems.
The Union Health Minister also launched the 5th Annual Report on the progress made under the two flagship schemes of the Government, Ayushman Bharat PMJAY and Ayushman Bharat Digital Bharat in 2022 – 2023.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, S P Singh Baghel also addressed the event. The Union Health Minister awarded the top-performing States and Union Territories in various categories. The award for the highest Ayushman card creation was given to Assam, Nagaland, and Jammu & Kashmir. Karnataka and Tripura received the award for the highest percentage of Utilization in Public Hospitals.
