New Delhi, Mar 8 (IANS): A recent study on 'Gender' under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) from October 2019 to September 2021 has revealed that the female utilization of AB PM-JAY services stood at 46.7 per cent of the total utilization. States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Sikkim observed a higher female utilization under AB PM-JAY than males for the stipulated period of time.

Currently women comprise up to 49.6 per cent of the total enrolled AB PM-JAY beneficiaries. States like Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Kerala and Meghalaya have a higher number of Ayushman Cards issued for women as compared to their male counterparts.

"The Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme is setting a great example for promoting gender equity and equal opportunities in access to health benefits and medical assistance for all. The high representation of female beneficiaries in the scheme is a testament to our commitment for this endeavour. I hope we can continue this tradition and keep this inclusiveness alive," said Dr R.S Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority, while releasing the study here on Tuesday.

Apart from expanding and creating a network of almost 27,300 private and government hospitals, AB PM-JAY has also greatly contributed to shifting the gender paradigm, with over 42 percent of the beneficiaries availing treatment under AB PM-JAY being women as per the study.

AB PM-JAY currently provides 59 packages and 77 procedures under the specialty of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for women, enabling increased access to better healthcare services and thus helping in the reduction of maternal and child mortality. The Obstetrics and Gynaecology utilization under the scheme is the second most utilized specialty after general medicine in over 15 states.

The other specialisations like Oncology (58%) and Opthalmology (51%) have also seen a higher female beneficiary utilization than male under AB PM-JAY, the study revealed.