PM Modi calls PM-JAY rollout in Delhi a 'revolutionary step' for health sector

New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed the rollout of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) in Delhi as a "revolutionary step" for the national capital's healthcare sector, enabled by the "double-engine" BJP government.

As the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), of which PM-JAY is a component, was officially launched in the national capital on Thursday, 19 residents, including 11 women and 8 men, became the first beneficiaries to receive Ayushman Bharat cards under the scheme.

PM Modi praised the implementation and expressed happiness that the people of Delhi will now benefit from the health scheme.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, "A revolutionary step related to Delhi's health sector! This mission of the double-engine government is going to be extremely beneficial for lakhs of my brothers and sisters here. I am very happy that Delhiites will now also be able to get their treatment under the Ayushman Yojana."

The PM-JAY rollout in Delhi comes just days after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on April 5, enabling the implementation of the Modi government's flagship health scheme in the national capital.

With this, Delhi has become the 35th state or Union territory to adopt the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The AB-PMJAY is a key component of the broader PM-ABHIM framework, which aims to boost public health infrastructure and improve access to quality healthcare across the country.

Launched in 2018, PM-JAY provides an annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary hospital care, targeting economically vulnerable populations. The scheme is the world's largest government-funded healthcare programme.

The inclusion of Delhi in PM-JAY marks a significant milestone in expanding healthcare access to low-income families in the capital and reducing their financial burden for critical medical treatments.

--IANS

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