Odisha officially joined the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme, seven months after the BJP assumed power in the state. With this, Odisha has become the 34th state to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha. The agreement was signed Today at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, by Smt. LS Changsan, Additional Secretary of 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 over by Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare & Chemicals and Fertilisers, 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 & 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 alongside the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) in Odisha. The scheme will provide coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per annum, with an additional Rs 5 lakh for women members. Approximately 1.03 crore families will benefit from the combined 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 the world’s largest health coverage scheme and the fastest to be implemented since its conception.” He noted that “the scheme is fully digitised and covers approximately 45 per cent of India’s population.” He also mentioned that the Hon’ble Prime Minister launched the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card in October 2024, benefiting around six crore individuals aged 70 and above.
Highlighting the impact of AB PM-JAY, Shri Nadda stated, “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 marginalised sections of society.” He clarified, “This increase in hospital admissions is not due to a rise in diseases, but rather due to enhanced accessibility to affordable healthcare.”
He also pointed out that hospital admissions have significantly increased even in remote, far-flung, and disturbed areas as a result of AB PM-JAY. Specifically, he highlighted a notable 4.3 per cent increase in hospital admissions in Naxal-affected districts such as Bastar and Bijapur. Additionally, he mentioned that in Madhya Pradesh, hospital admissions have increased by 30 times due to the AB PM-JAY scheme.
Quoting a recent Lancet study on Southeast Asia, Shri Nadda revealed that the AB PM-JAY scheme has increased access to healthcare for cancer patients by 33 per cent. He also emphasised the scheme’s role in improving early cancer diagnoses and encouraging health-seeking behaviour, particularly among women.
The Union Minister further shared that nearly 2,000 medical procedures across 27 specialities are covered under AB PM-JAY, including major surgeries such as bypass and knee replacements.
On this occasion, Shri Mohan Charan Majhi stated, “People from our state, who were previously receiving treatment in around 900 empanelled hospitals, will now have access to cashless, quality treatment in over 29,000 empanelled government and private hospitals.” He added that the converged schemes will collectively benefit approximately 4.5 crore people in Odisha with the help of a single card.
CM Majhi pointed out that although the Centre introduced the Ayushman Bharat scheme in 2018, the then Odisha government did not implement it for political reasons.
The Chief Minister also announced that the state will establish Ayushman Arogya Mandir health centres in each gram panchayat, where a team consisting of one Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM), one yoga teacher, and one health worker will operate.
He remarked, “The significance of this occasion is immense, as it will transform the health status of 86 per cent of Odisha’s population.” Shri Majhi also highlighted that the scheme would further digitalise and promote the progressive development of Odisha’s healthcare sector.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan stated, “This MoU marks 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 noted that the state health index will significantly improve with the convergence of the two healthcare schemes. The Minister also emphasised the need to expand digital healthcare services across all state districts.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that the converged schemes would significantly enhance healthcare services in Odisha, describing it as another progressive step towards achieving the ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Utkarsh Odisha goals.
Shri Jual Oram highlighted the positive impact that AB PM-JAY will have on the state’s people, particularly for the tribal, underprivileged, and migrant populations.
Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo stated, “With the integration of the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana with AB PM-JAY, Odisha is now better equipped to address health inequalities, prioritising 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 access affordable and quality healthcare services across the country.
Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary; Shri Manoj Ahuja, Chief Secretary of Odisha; and senior officials from the Union Health Ministry and the Odisha Government were present at the occasion.
PM Modi Congratulates Odisha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Odisha for finally gaining access to the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which aims to provide citizens with affordable and high-quality healthcare.
In a message shared on social media, PM Modi expressed his happiness: “Congratulations to the people of Odisha! It was indeed a travesty that my sisters and brothers of Odisha were denied the benefits of Ayushman Bharat by the previous Government. This scheme will ensure the highest-quality healthcare at affordable rates. It will particularly benefit the Nari Shakti and the elderly of Odisha.”
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