Ayushman Bharat Diwas 2023: Understanding the Key Features of PM-Jan Arogya Yojana

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana is a revolutionary healthcare scheme introduced by the Indian government, aimed at providing affordable healthcare services to the underprivileged population living below the poverty line.

The scheme is a step towards a more comprehensive healthcare approach, moving away from selective and segmented healthcare services. Celebrated on April 30 every year, Ayushman Bharat Diwas marks the importance of this scheme and its positive impact on the lives of millions of people in India.

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana is not only limited to financial protection but also focuses on improving the quality of healthcare services provided. The scheme incentivizes public and private hospitals to provide quality healthcare services to patients covered under the scheme. The scheme also promotes the use of technology to ensure seamless and transparent healthcare services.

Let's take a look at some key facts about the Ayushman Bharat Yojana that are worth knowing:

• Ayushman Bharat Diwas is celebrated on April 30th in India to commemorate the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) scheme in 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• The Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched on September 23, 2018, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• The government aims to provide affordable healthcare to over 50 crore beneficiaries through the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

• Services provided under the PMJAY scheme are paperless and cashless.

• Families registered under the PMJAY scheme receive up to Rs 5 lakhs of health insurance per year, which is used for secondary and tertiary care and hospitalization.

• The PMJAY scheme falls under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agendas of the WHO and the UN.

• The PMJAY scheme can be accessed at designated Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) located across India. The cost of treatment is borne by the government as per the scheme.

• As of April 2023, there are 1, 59, 662 HWCs operating in the country.

• The HWCs provide services related to non-communicable diseases, ENT care, palliative and rehabilitative care, and mental health, apart from emergencies, trauma, and maternal and child healthcare services.

• According to the 71st Round of the National Sample Survey (NSS), 85.9% of rural households and 82% of urban households had no access to healthcare insurance.

• The Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana covers the patients’ expenses from the start of hospitalization till the post-hospitalization recovery process.

• As of April 2023, 30 states and union territories have signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the central government to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme.