PM-JAY transforms healthcare access, millions in Gujarat get free treatment

Launched on September 23, 2018, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) stands as a transformative step towards India's goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

With its ambitious mission to provide health insurance to over 500 million people, this flagship scheme aims to ensure access to quality healthcare for the country's most vulnerable populations, revolutionizing the healthcare landscape in India.

PM-JAY has transformed healthcare by providing health coverage to the country's most vulnerable.

Jyoti Amit Kumar Shah, a beneficiary of PM-JAY from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, shared how the scheme has helped him receive free treatment.

"Initially, I went to a private hospital for treatment. It was expensive, and the surgery did not work out. Later, I benefited from the PM-JAY scheme and am now receiving free treatment here," said Jyoti Amit Kumar Shah.

Vivek Singh, another beneficiary of PM-JAY, said, "...Earlier, I conducted tests in private hospitals, but I didn't get any results. So, I came here, got the benefits of the PM-JAY scheme, and I am better now. I spent lakhs in private hospitals."

According to a government release, PM-JAY is the largest health insurance or assurance initiative globally, fully financed by the Government of India, offering broad healthcare access to the vulnerable.

Kiritbhai Poojabhai Gajjar, who has been receiving treatment at a hospital for the last six years, narrated how he received free treatment due to the Ayushman card.

"I have been receiving treatment here at the civil hospital for the last six years, free of cost. I cannot afford a private hospital. I can't get better treatment than this in India...We were so tense when this disease was diagnosed, but with the Ayushman card, I got free treatment," said Gajjar.

As a key component of the Ayushman Bharat initiative, which emerged from the National Health Policy 2017, PM-JAY has transformed the healthcare landscape by providing health coverage to the country's most vulnerable.