Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 18: Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav on Friday said the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has facilitated cashless treatment worth more than Rs 1.91 lakh crore through a network of over 37,000 empanelled hospitals across the country.
Addressing the National Health Authority's (NHA) two-day review meeting, Chintan Shivir, on the implementation of AB PM-JAY and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Jadhav said the scheme was conceived in the spirit of Antyodaya to ensure quality healthcare reaches the last person in the queue.
"Every cashless treatment provided under AB PM-JAY reaffirms the commitment to the spirit of Antyodaya to ensure that the last person in the queue receives priority in accessing quality healthcare," he said.
Highlighting the achievements of the flagship health insurance scheme over the past seven years, Jadhav said it had become the world's largest health insurance programme by enabling cashless treatment worth over Rs 1.91 lakh crore through more than 37,000 empanelled hospitals nationwide.
Speaking on digital healthcare, the minister said the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has laid the foundation for a future-ready healthcare ecosystem, with more than 94 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers created and over 100 crore health records linked.
He said the success of ABDM 2.0 should not be judged merely by the number of digital records created, but by its impact in enabling seamless access to health records across states, improving discovery of nearby health facilities and strengthening integration with AB PM-JAY.
Jadhav inaugurated the two-day review meeting attended by senior officials from the Union Health Ministry, the National Health Authority, and states and Union Territories to assess progress under the flagship health programmes and chart the next phase of reforms.
During the inaugural session, he released the NHA's annual report along with compendiums of guidelines for district implementation units, beneficiary empowerment and hospital empanelment modules aimed at improving standardisation and implementation across states.
NHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal said the Chintan Shivir had become an important platform for states and Union Territories to review progress, exchange best practices and address implementation challenges under AB PM-JAY and ABDM.
He said the digital architecture of the two flagship schemes had enabled effective implementation across India's diverse geographical and demographic landscape.
Barnwal also stressed the need to strengthen state-level data analytics for evidence-based policymaking and encouraged states and Union Territories to leverage emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve healthcare delivery and programme implementation.
He highlighted citizen-centric digital initiatives such as the upgraded Ayushman App, Aarogya Setu 2.0, Ayushman Sarathi and the National Drug Registry for improving access to digital health services.
Barnwal further said the vast repository of data generated under PM-JAY has the potential to serve as a valuable national health indicator by providing insights into disease patterns across states, regions and demographic groups, enabling targeted public health interventions and evidence-based policymaking.
The meeting reviewed progress under AB PM-JAY, including beneficiary coverage, service delivery, claims management and hospital empanelment. It also identified priority areas such as saturation of eligible beneficiaries, Ayushman card generation, enrolment of ASHA and Anganwadi workers, and faster implementation of the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana.
The implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was also reviewed, with discussions focusing on expanding digital health services, promoting interoperable digital health solutions and strengthening coordination between the Centre and the states.