Mansukh Mandaviya said that “Ayushman Bharat PMJAY was also launched to make citizens free from burden of healthcare expenditures”

The inauguration of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) plan, according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, was not only focused on making citizens, but also on freeing them from the burden of healthcare expenses.

Mansukh Mandaviya gave a speech at the two-day Arogya Manthan 2023’s concluding session, in which he stated, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat PMJAY five years ago with the vision of creating a “Ayushman Bharat” where every citizen is not only healthy but also free from the burden of healthcare expenditures.

Today, the Health Ministry and NITI Ayog celebrated the completion of the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY’s five-year milestone and the two-year anniversary of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission.

The event also included the presence of Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Keshab Mahanta, Minister of Health, Assam, and Prof. S P Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.

The two days of Arogya Manthan have proven to be a good chance to discuss important topics connected to providing high-quality healthcare to the nation’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens, according to Health Minister Mandaviya, who spoke at the event.

“When PM-JAY was first introduced, many people did not prioritize their health. However, today marks a significant milestone in our progress, with over 5.6 crore hospital admissions totaling more than Rs. 69,000 crore. We can clearly witness AB PMJAY’s transformative power, the speaker said.

The overall cost of treatment for many of these hospital stays, he said, would have been 1.5–2 times greater if the beneficiaries had sought the same care independently and outside the purview of AB PMJAY. He also noted that many of these hospitalizations were for life-threatening illnesses.

The Union Health Minister presented awards to the top-performing States and Union Territories in different categories on the last day of the two-day Arogya Manthan 2023 event.

Assam, Nagaland, and Jammu & Kashmir won the ABPMJAY award for “Highest Ayushman Card Creation” out of all the prize categories. The award for “Highest Percentage of Utilization in Public Hospitals” was won by Tripura and Karnataka.

Andhra Pradesh won the title of “Top State in Linking Health Records with ABHA” for the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, while Uttar Pradesh won the title of “Top State in Generation of ABHA Scan and Share Tokens” among the many award categories.

Mandaviya stressed the value of the Ayushman Bharat project in positioning women at the forefront and center of the national discussion on health while giving the prizes to the best states, districts, integrators, and healthcare institutions.

According to verification via the PMJAY IT infrastructure, “females account for approximately 49% of Ayushman card recipients,” he said. Women have accessed more than 48% of approved hospital admissions, and more than 141 PMJAY medical treatments are specifically designated for women.

The growth of the Ayushman Card program, according to the Union Health Minister, “requires ensuring delivery of Ayushman Card to all eligible beneficiaries.”

Aapke Dwar Ayushman (ADA 3.0), announced by NHA, and the “Ayushman Bhav” campaign, inaugurated by the President of India on September 13, 2023, were the two new efforts he mentioned. These two programs aim to accelerate the expansion of health insurance throughout the nation.

The ABDM, which was launched on September 27, 2021, is a highly ambitious government initiative that aims to build a digital highway linking all the significant stakeholders in healthcare ecosystems, according to Mandaviya.

He emphasized the creation of over 45 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) during the last two years. “More than 30 crore health records have been connected to these ABHA accounts. The plan makes an effort to use digital technology to enhance the delivery of healthcare, he said.

The first recipient of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in the nation, 5-year-old Karishma, was honored today at Arogya Manthan 2023 by Union Health Minister Dr. Mandaviya, according to an official release.

The importance of information technology in attaining the Prime Minister’s goal of universal access to healthcare was stressed by Minister of State SP Singh Baghel.

In the next years, he also detailed plans to link every hamlet in India with high-speed optical fiber, a move that would provide ongoing access to healthcare services and broad connectivity.

The AB PM-JAY and the ABDM, according to Dr. VK Paul, are two ground-breaking health programs of the Union Government. He asked the business sector to take a more active role in these two projects and support the development of the country. He also underlined the need of making wise medical equipment acquisitions in order to reduce treatment costs.