Chamoli, July 29 (IANS) In Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, thousands of families are receiving free and quality healthcare under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), the world’s largest health assurance scheme. With more than 72 per cent of the population in Chamoli enrolled, the ambitious initiative is transforming healthcare accessibility in the hilly region.

Under this flagship scheme, the Centre provides an annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family, offering secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation for economically vulnerable sections of society. As of now, 2,29,384 residents of Chamoli are registered, and over 51,000 beneficiaries have availed free medical services at various hospitals.

One such beneficiary, Rajni Devi from Kunj Pothni village, is currently undergoing treatment at the District Hospital in Gopeshwar.

Her husband expressed immense gratitude, saying: “My wife has been receiving treatment here for the past month. Thanks to the Ayushman card, all expenses have been covered. This scheme has been a blessing for poor families like ours. I sincerely thank the central government for launching such an initiative.”

Shishupal Singh also shared his experience: “We have been receiving free treatment under this scheme for the last six months. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this thoughtful step.”

Priyanka’s family, which has also benefited under the scheme, praised the initiative for covering both treatment and diagnostic tests.

“My daughter is hospitalised due to illness, but all the treatment and medical tests have been free. This scheme has truly made a difference in our lives,” her family member said.

Mamta Negi, a relative of another beneficiary, added: “This is a remarkable initiative. I am happy with the support we’ve received. Thank you, PM Modi, for thinking of common citizens.”

Launched on September 23, 2018, in Jharkhand’s Ranchi, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana aims to move beyond a segmented approach to healthcare and focus on comprehensive, need-based service delivery. It is built around two core components: Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

The scheme provides financial protection to over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families—nearly 50 crore individuals—who form the bottom 40 per cent of India’s population. These households were identified using the deprivation and occupational criteria of the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 for rural and urban areas, respectively.

On October 29, 2024, the government took another progressive step by extending coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status. These individuals are now eligible for free treatment benefits up to Rs 5 lakh per year through Ayushman Vay Vandana cards.

This expansion ensures the elderly population has equitable access to quality healthcare across the nation. A standout feature of the scheme is its portability, allowing beneficiaries to receive treatment at any of the 31,466 empanelled hospitals—public or private—across India, regardless of where they live.

Out of these, 14,194 are private hospitals, offering treatment for a wide range of health conditions. To maintain high service standards, the National Health Authority (NHA) has introduced robust Hospital Empanelment and Management (HEM) Guidelines for facilities under the scheme.

Since the launch of the Vay Vandana extension, over 1.06 lakh claims have already been settled, highlighting the scheme’s rapid uptake and impact.

–IANS

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