BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: Over two crore health cards have been issued and there has been one hospitalization every five seconds in the first 157 days of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which offers Rs 5-lakh-a-year free health cover to 10.7 crore households.

“Out of the 14,708 empaneled hospitals, 55 per cent are from the private sector taking care of 65 per cent of the treatment needs of the beneficiaries,” said National Health Authority CEO, Dr. Indu Bhushan, while speaking at the 1st edition of the Ayushman Bharat Conclave in New Delhi.

He stated, “Every year, 6 crore people fall below poverty line due to catastrophic health expenditure. Besides, 40 per cent of the poor people do not have access to private healthcare that provides 70 per cent of the services.”

Dr Bhushan claimed, “33 states and Union Territories are on board for rolling out the programme and Punjab and Kerala are going to implement it soon. We are yet to have an official word from West Bengal on withdrawing from the programme.”

“Ayushman Bharat increases access of the poor to quality, affordable and accountable healthcare and reduces the fragmentation of the service providers – public sector providers can refer patients to private hospitals for tertiary services,” Dr. Bhushan said.

“Ayushman Bharat is a crucial step that the government of India has taken for creating a happy and prosperous country; the possibilities are immense,” said Kamal Narayan, Principal Founder, India Health and Wellness Summit initiatives.

The conclave is an initiative of leading industry forum India Health and Wellness Summit, which has been at the forefront of creating constructive discourses around holistic health for several years, supported and participated in by institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, key industry bodies and civil society.