Ayushman Bharat completes seven years as PM Modi hails it a people’s movement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Ayushman Bharat scheme has grown from a promise into a people’s movement for universal healthcare. Marking its seventh anniversary, Union Minister J P Nadda called for more private hospitals to expand access and improve quality

New Delhi: The Ayushman Bharat scheme has transformed from a promise to the people’s movement for universal health coverage, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the flagship health insurance scheme completes seven years on Tuesday.

“Ayushman Bharat at 7 – from a promise to a people’s movement for universal health coverage,” said the PMO India handle on social media platform X. The PMO also shared a media article by Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda reflecting on the transformation brought by Ayushman Bharat in the last seven years.

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“Read this article by Union Minister JPNadda to know how this transformation stands as a testament to the government’s resolve to protect every citizen’s health and how far we have come!” PMO said. Launched on September 23, 2018, AB PM-JAY is the world’s largest health insurance scheme, providing accessible and affordable healthcare to the common man.

The AB PM-JAY provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to approximately 55 crore beneficiaries. This corresponds to 12.37 crore families constituting the economically vulnerable bottom 40 per cent of India’s population.

Charting out the “tremendous progress” made by the Ayushman Bharat scheme, in his article, Nadda urged the need for bringing more private sector hospitals on board, especially in the underserved areas, “to improve access, stimulate competition and raise standards”.

“As we celebrate seven years of #AyushmanBharat, our aim is a future where every Indian, regardless of income or geography, has equal access to high-quality health care. The task is immense, but our resolve is firm,” Nadda said on X.

“In the years ahead, Ayushman Bharat will remain a symbol of the PM Narendra Modi’s vision, the government’s commitment and the nation’s determination to protect the health of its people,” he added.