Ayushman Bharat transforms healthcare in J&K's Banihal, thousands get free treatment
Synopsis
In Banihal, a semi-urban pocket of Jammu & Kashmir where geography and poverty once made quality healthcare a distant prospect, the Ayushman Bharat scheme is quietly changing the equation — 60 to 70 patients admitted free every month at a single government hospital, with medicines, diagnostics, and surgeries all covered. The numbers are modest, but the human stories behind them are not.
Key Takeaways
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is providing free healthcare to thousands of residents in Banihal, Jammu & Kashmir .
60 to 70 patients are admitted and treated monthly under the Ayushman card at Banihal Government Hospital , according to Dr Raees Ahmed Khanday .
Services covered include free consultations, medicines, diagnostic tests, and surgeries.
Beneficiaries such as Bahar Ahmed Tantray and Gul Mohammad Lone confirmed receiving full treatment at zero cost.
Enrolment drives are ongoing to reach eligible households yet to register under the scheme.
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is reshaping healthcare access in Banihal, Jammu & Kashmir, with thousands of enrolled beneficiaries receiving free consultations, medicines, diagnostic tests, and surgeries at government and government-aided hospitals across the region. The scheme, which targets economically disadvantaged households, has emerged as a critical safety net for families that previously had limited access to quality medical care.
On-Ground Impact in Banihal
A government hospital in Banihal, operating under the supervision of Dr Raees Ahmed Khanday, has been at the centre of the scheme's local rollout, consistently enrolling new beneficiaries and expanding its reach. According to Dr Khanday, roughly 60 to 70 patients are admitted and treated under the Ayushman card every month. 'Patients are receiving free treatment at the hospital through the Ayushman card. Every month, approximately 60 to 70 patients are admitted and treated using the Ayushman card,' he said.
Daily footfall at the facility has grown steadily, with residents from Banihal and surrounding villages arriving for everything from routine consultations to complex surgical procedures — all covered under the scheme.
Beneficiaries Speak
Local resident Bahar Ahmed Tantray described how the scheme covered his mother's fracture treatment in full. 'My mother suffered a fracture. Her treatment was arranged at the hospital using the Ayushman card. Along with the medical treatment, we also received medicines and other facilities. We thank the government for this,' he said.
Another patient, Gul Mohammad Lone, who was admitted after falling ill, said all his tests, treatment, and medicines were provided free of cost through his Ayushman card. 'It is an excellent scheme. It enables poor people to get medical treatment for free,' he added.
Why This Matters for J&K
Banihal, situated in the Ramban district of Jammu & Kashmir, is a semi-urban area where access to specialised healthcare has historically been constrained by geography and affordability. The AB-PMJAY scheme's penetration here reflects a broader push to extend the Centre's flagship health coverage to remote and underserved pockets of the Union Territory. This comes amid ongoing efforts by the administration to accelerate welfare scheme implementation across J&K following the reorganisation of the erstwhile state in 2019.
Notably, Jammu & Kashmir was among the early Union Territories to integrate AB-PMJAY into its public health infrastructure, and the Banihal hospital's monthly admission figures suggest sustained utilisation rather than a one-time enrolment drive.
What's Next
Officials indicated that enrolment drives are ongoing, with the hospital administration actively identifying eligible households yet to register under the scheme. As awareness grows among economically weaker sections, demand for Ayushman-covered services is expected to rise further, placing a premium on hospital capacity and the availability of empanelled specialists in the region.
Point of View
Not just enrolment optics. But the harder question is capacity: as awareness grows and more beneficiaries activate their cards, whether empanelled hospitals in remote J&K pockets can absorb the load without quality erosion remains unaddressed. The scheme's success in urban centres has masked persistent gaps in specialist availability and infrastructure in areas like Banihal. Enrolment drives without parallel investment in hospital capacity risk turning a genuine lifeline into a bottleneck.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ayushman Bharat scheme and how does it work in Banihal?
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a Central government health coverage scheme providing free medical treatment to economically disadvantaged families. In Banihal, enrolled beneficiaries use an Ayushman card to access free consultations, medicines, diagnostics, and surgeries at the government hospital without any out-of-pocket expenditure.
How many patients are treated under Ayushman Bharat at Banihal hospital each month?
According to Dr Raees Ahmed Khanday, the doctor in charge at Banihal Government Hospital, approximately 60 to 70 patients are admitted and treated under the Ayushman card every month.
Who is eligible for the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Jammu & Kashmir?
The scheme targets poor and economically disadvantaged households identified through government databases. Residents of Banihal and surrounding areas who meet the eligibility criteria can enrol and receive an Ayushman card to access free healthcare at empanelled hospitals.
What services are covered under the Ayushman card at Banihal?
Beneficiaries at Banihal Government Hospital can avail free outpatient consultations, prescribed medicines, diagnostic tests, and surgical procedures — all covered under the AB-PMJAY scheme with no direct cost to the patient.
Are enrolment drives still ongoing in Banihal?
Yes, the hospital administration in Banihal is actively conducting enrolment drives to identify and register eligible households that have not yet signed up under the scheme, with the aim of expanding coverage to more economically vulnerable families in the region.
