New Delhi, January 13: Odisha became the 34th state to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) after the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha.
The agreement was signed today at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, between Smt. LS Changsan, Addl. Secretary, MoHFW and Chief Executive Officer of NHA and Smt. Aswathy S, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha.
The signing ceremony was presided by Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers in the presence of Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha; Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education; Shri Jual Oram, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs; Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Union Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology; Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha; and Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs & Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Odisha.
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) 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 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.
Addressing the gathering, Shri JP Nadda remarked, “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”, he said. He also stated that Hon’ble Prime Minister 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, Shri Nadda shared, “Since the inception of the scheme, 8.19 crore hospital admissions have been recorded, with ₹1.13 lakh crore spent on providing healthcare to marginalized sections of society.” He clarified, “This increase in hospital admissions is not due to a rise in diseases, but rather due to the enhanced accessibility to affordable healthcare.”
He also pointed out that even in remote, far-flung, and disturbed areas, hospital admissions have significantly increased as a result of AB PM-JAY. He especially highlighted that even in Naxal affected districts of Bastar and Bijapur, hospital admisssions 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 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, Shri Mohan Charan Majhi mentioned, “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.
He further added, “The significance of this occasion is immense, as it will transform the health status of 86% of Odisha’s population.” Shri Majhi also highlighted that the scheme would further digitalize and drive the progressive development of Odisha’s healthcare sector.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan stated that “This 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 Hon’ble Prime Minister, he 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.
Shri 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’.
Shri 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.
Shri 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.”
Dr 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.
Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary; Shri Manoj Ahuja, Chief Secretary, Odisha and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry and Odisha Government were present on the occasion.
