New Delhi: Six month after BJP Government came to power, the Odisha Government today signed an MoU with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)
The MoU was signed between the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha.
The agreement was signed today at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi in presence of Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
With this, Odisha became the 34th State to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in the country.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme will be implemented in convergence with the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) in the state. It will provide a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per annum with additional Rs 5 lakh for women members. A total of approximately 1.03 crore families will come under the converged scheme with 67.8 lakh families supported by the Union Government, officials said.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Nadda said, “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 conception”.
The scheme is fully digitized and covers approximately 45% of India’s population. Prime Minister launched the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card in October 2024 which will benefit approximately 6 crore people aged 70 years and above, he noted.
Highlighting the impact of AB PM-JAY, Nadda shared, “Since the inception of the scheme, 8.19 crore hospital admissions have been recorded, with Rs 1.13 lakh crore spent on providing healthcare to marginalized sections of society.”
“This increase in hospital admissions is not due to a rise in diseases, but rather due to the enhanced accessibility to affordable healthcare,” he added.
He also pointed out that even in remote, far-flung, and disturbed areas, hospital admissions havesignificantly increased as a result of AB PM-JAY. He especially highlighted that even in Naxal affected districts of Bastar and Bijapur, hospital admissions has seen a notable increase of 4.3%.
He added that in Madhya Pradesh, hospital admissions have registered an increase by 30 times as a result of AB PM-JAY scheme.
Quoting a recent Lancet study on Southeast Asia, Shri Nadda revealed that AB PM-JAY has increased access to healthcare for cancer patients by 33%. He also highlighted the scheme’s role in improving early cancer diagnoses and promoting health-seeking behavior, particularly among women.
The Union Health Minister also shared that nearly 2,000 medical procedures across 27 specialties are covered under AB PM-JAY, including major surgeries like bypass surgeries and knee replacements.
On the occasion, CM Shri Majhi said, “People from our state, who were previously receiving treatment in around 900 empaneled hospitals, will now have access to cashless and quality treatment in over 29,000 government and private empaneled hospitals”.
He stated that the converged schemes will cumulatively benefit around 4.5 crore people of Odisha with the help of a single card.
The significance of this occasion is immense, as it will transform the health status of 86% of Odisha’s population, he said, adding that the scheme would further digitalize and drive the progressive development of Odisha’s healthcare sector.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the MoU is a new beginning in the development story of Odisha’s healthcare sector as it will benefit 4.5 crore families in the State.
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister, Shri Pradhan stated that the State health index will show an appreciable rise with the convergence of the two healthcare schemes. The Minister also stressed on expanding digital healthcare services across all districts of the state.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that the converged schemes will significantly augment healthcare services in Odisha, calling it another progressive step towards attaining the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Utkarsh Odisha’.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram highlighted the positive impact that AB PMJAY will have for the people of the state, especially for the tribal, underprivileged and migrant population.
Deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo stated that, “with the integration of the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana with the AB PM-JAY, Odisha is now better able to address health inequalities, prioritizing the economically weaker sections and bridging the healthcare gap between urban and rural areas.”
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling noted that the MoU will pave the way for residents of Odisha and its migrant workers to avail affordable and quality healthcare services across the country.