New Delhi: Odisha joining the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is a historic moment, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Monday as it inked an MoU to become the 34th state/Union Territory to implement the flagship health coverage scheme of the Centre. The National Health Authority (NHA) on Monday signed the MoU with Odisha government's health and family welfare department at the Vigyan Bhavan in the presence of Nadda and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The scheme will be implemented in convergence with the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) in Odisha. It will provide a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per annum with an additional Rs 5 lakh for women members. Approximately 1.03 crore families will come under the converged scheme with the Union government supporting 67.8 lakh of them.
"Today is a historic day for Odisha. AB PM-JAY is not only the world's largest health coverage scheme, but also the fastest to be implemented since its conception. The scheme is fully digitised and covers approximately 45 per cent of India's population," Nadda said. Political ego should not come in the way of states while choosing people-centric schemes, he added.
The health minister also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card in October 2024, which will benefit approximately 6 crore people aged 70 years and above. Highlighting the impact of AB PM-JAY, Nadda said, "Since its inception, 8.19 crore hospital admissions have been recorded, with Rs 1.13 lakh crore spent on providing healthcare to the marginalised sections of society."
"This increase in hospital admissions is not due to a rise in diseases, but because of enhanced accessibility to affordable healthcare," he added. Speaking on the occasion, Majhi said, "The people of Odisha, who were previously receiving treatment in around 900 empanelled hospitals, will now have access to cashless and quality treatment in more than 29,000 government and private hospitals."
The converged schemes will cumulatively benefit around 4.5 crore people with the help of a single card, he said. "The significance of this occasion is immense, as it will transform the health status of 86 per cent of Odisha's population," the chief minister said, adding that it would further digitalise and drive the progressive development of the state's healthcare sector.
