Delhi Government Initiates Distribution of Ayushman Bharat Cards Today
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Synopsis
The Delhi government is set to distribute Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY health cards to residents starting Thursday. This initiative aims to ease the healthcare financial burden on economically vulnerable families, with an additional state cover announced by CM Rekha Gupta.
Key Takeaways
- Distribution of Ayushman Bharat cards begins today.
- Health cards aim to support economically vulnerable families.
- Delhi becomes the 35th state/UT to implement PM-JAY.
- Additional Rs 5 lakh health cover introduced by Delhi government.
- 2.60 lakh residents already registered for the scheme.
New Delhi, April 10 (NationPress) The Delhi government is all set to begin the distribution of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health cards to the residents of the national capital starting Thursday, following their registration under the initiative.
The health cards will be handed out to the beneficiaries at 3 p.m. at Plenary Hall in Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan.
The PM-JAY, which was launched in 2018, seeks to reduce the financial burden of healthcare on economically vulnerable families throughout India.
With the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Department of Health & Family Welfare of the Government of NCT of Delhi, the national capital has officially become the 35th state or union territory to implement the scheme.
Currently, West Bengal is the only state that has not yet adopted PM-JAY.
After the agreement, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced an enhancement to the initiative by stating that an additional health cover of Rs 5 lakh will be provided by the state government, supplementing the Rs 5 lakh coverage under the central scheme.
"Approximately 6.54 lakh families in Delhi will now be eligible to benefit from AB PM-JAY, with the distribution of cards for the scheme commencing from April 10, 2025," CM Gupta remarked.
Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh informed IANS on Wednesday that around 2.60 lakh residents have already been registered as beneficiaries during the first phase and will receive their Ayushman Health cards in the coming 40 to 42 days.
"On Day 1, we expect that about 400-500 individuals will receive their Ayushman Bharat card," he said. He also criticized the previous AAP-led administration for obstructing the scheme, which he claimed was driven by myopic political interests and had denied the residents of Delhi their rightful benefits.
"The prior government had hindered the Central healthcare plan for its narrow political interests. The citizens of Delhi remained deprived of the advantages of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, but now they will be entitled to receive all benefits, just like any other citizen of the country," Singh stated.
He further mentioned that a transparent and efficient system has been established to guarantee hassle-free registration, timely fund disbursement, and to prevent meddling by middlemen.
"Once a beneficiary registers, their information will be updated on the portal, and they will also get a notification on their mobile devices," added the Health Minister.
The execution of PM-JAY in Delhi signifies a critical advancement in enhancing healthcare accessibility for low-income families in the capital and integrating them into the nation's largest government-sponsored health protection initiative.
