Lucknow, Aug 9 (IANS): The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is not just extending the benefits of the Central government's Ayushman Bharat scheme to the maximum number of people but it is also ensuring that patients with serious illnesses get treatment from specialist doctors in big corporate hospitals.

The Yogi Adityanath government has made more than five crore Ayushman cards -- highest in the country -- and more than Rs 2,500 crore have been spent so far on the treatment of more than 6 lakh patients with serious illnesses. Not only this, Ayushman card holders from other states are also taking advantage of the better health services of the state.

Principal Secretary, Medical, Health and Family Welfare, Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma says that on the directions of Chief Minister Adityanath, Ayushman cards are being made on a war footing to provide the benefits of the scheme to the maximum number of people. As a result of this, there are 5,11,72,647 Ayushman cardholders in the state.

These cardholders are being provided treatment in 5,669 hospitals in the state, which include 2,948 government and 2,721 private hospitals.

Not only this, but the cardholders are also getting treatment in big corporate hospitals such as Apollo, Medanta, Yashoda, Regency, and Tender Palm amongst others.

According to the Principal Secretary, so far Rs 7,040 crore has been spent on the treatment of 45,19,375 patients under the scheme in the state.

He said that Uttar Pradesh has been the number one state in the country for the last several years in terms of making cards, while Madhya Pradesh is in second place, where 4.03 crore cards have been made. Bihar is in the third position with 3.26 crore cardholders.

More than one lakh card holders from other states have so far received treatment in Uttar Pradesh.

CEO of the State Agency For Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHIS) Sangeeta Singh said that even the most serious diseases of Ayushman card holders are being treated easily in the state.

She said that till now 6,98,831 patients have been provided treatment under tertiary care with Rs 2,557 crore. In this, 66,513 heart patients were treated and Rs 684 crore was spent on their treatment.

"At the same time, 1,79,141 patients from other states took advantage of the better health services of the state. Rs 491 crore was spent on their treatment, while 3,05,264 state resident patients living outside the state got treatment in other states and Rs 821 crore were spent on their treatment," she added.