Bhubaneswar: Union Health Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda officially launched the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) in Odisha during a grand ceremony at the historic Bali Jatra Ground in Cuttack on April 11. This flagship health insurance scheme will now work alongside the state government’s Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY), broadening healthcare access across the state.
The event saw the presence of numerous dignitaries, including Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, and State Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, among others.
In a sharp critique of former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Nadda accused him of prioritising personal ego over public welfare by refusing to implement the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the state.
Speaking to a large gathering at the launch event, Nadda reminded attendees that the scheme, introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 in Ranchi, aims to provide free healthcare coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually. Despite repeated requests, he asserted that the BJD-led state government under Patnaik opted not to implement the scheme in Odisha.
“We approached him several times. I even asked senior leader Jual Oram to engage with him. But Naveen Babu didn’t listen — neither to us nor to the people of Odisha. His ego prevented a life-saving initiative from reaching the state,” Nadda stated.
He further noted that Odisha was one of only three states, along with Delhi and West Bengal, that initially rejected the implementation of the scheme. “However, the people of Odisha responded to this neglect democratically — they voted him out and gave us the mandate,” Nadda said.
Now that the BJP has formed the government in Odisha, the long-awaited implementation of Ayushman Bharat has become a reality, which he described as a landmark achievement for the people of the state.
Nadda also targeted former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying, “We urged Kejriwal to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi as well, but he chose to ignore it. Today, the people have delivered their verdict — and now we have our government in Delhi too.”
Turning his attention to West Bengal, Nadda sent a clear message to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee: “The time has come for the lotus to bloom in Bengal.” He emphasised that the central government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of Ayushman Bharat reach every corner of the country. “No state should be deprived of quality healthcare due to political obstinance or arrogance.”
“It is a historic day for the people of Odisha. Before the elections, the BJP promised the implementation of Ayushman Bharat, and the newly formed Odisha government has fulfilled this promise. The scheme is one of the largest health initiatives in the world. It is not an insurance scheme but an assurance scheme, meaning that no insurance company can determine whether a patient receives medicine or treatment; this decision will be made by doctors from 30,000 hospitals. Thanks to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the scheme is being implemented in Odisha,” said Nadda.
Under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), women beneficiaries will receive an additional health coverage of ₹5 lakh. The scheme has already brought around 61 crore people under its umbrella, including ASHA workers and other frontline health personnel. Notably, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term in office, this ₹5 lakh health coverage was also extended to citizens above the age of 70, ensuring greater healthcare access for the elderly.
In Odisha alone, more than 3 crore people are now enrolled in the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Nationally, over the past seven years, 8.90 crore individuals have received free treatment through the initiative. However, until recently, the people of Odisha were excluded from these benefits due to the scheme not being implemented in the state earlier.
Highlighting the importance of its nationwide applicability, Union Health Minister JP Nadda noted that many people from Odisha are employed in states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. With the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in Odisha, these individuals can now avail themselves of cashless treatment at any empanelled hospital in the country.
“Out-of-pocket medical expenses have significantly decreased due to this scheme. Our objective is to reduce that financial burden even further. This is just the beginning—we are committed to ensuring that the people of Odisha receive the full benefit of Ayushman Bharat,” Nadda stated.
Medical Colleges to Be Established in Four New Districts of Odisha: CM Mohan Charan Majhi
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that the state government will establish new medical colleges in four additional districts—Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, and Nabarangpur. This announcement was made during the official launch of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in Cuttack on Friday.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister emphasised the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality medical education and healthcare services. “Odisha currently has 12 operational medical colleges. Two more will be dedicated to the public shortly. In addition to these, four new medical colleges will be established, for which provisions have been made in the state’s 2025–26 budget,” he said.
This initiative is part of a broader plan to ensure that every district in Odisha is equipped with its own medical college over the next five years—a vision the state government has been pursuing in alignment with national health infrastructure goals.
Chief Minister Majhi also shared that, in the past 10 months, the BJP-led state government has appointed around 4,000 doctors and healthcare staff to fill critical vacancies across Odisha. “In the coming days, we will initiate the recruitment of 5,000 more doctors and dentists to meet growing healthcare demands,” he announced.
It is worth noting that this push for medical college expansion aligns with a national policy introduced in 2014, where the Union Government laid down guidelines for establishing medical colleges in each district of India. According to the model, the cost of establishment is shared in a 60:40 ratio between the Centre and the respective state governments.
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