Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India is witnessing a “revolution in public healthcare” as the Ayushman Bharat scheme completed seven years since its launch.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the initiative was designed to anticipate future needs and ensure quality, affordable healthcare for all. “Today we mark #7YearsOfAyushmanBharat! This was an initiative that anticipated the needs of the future and focussed on ensuring top quality as well as affordable healthcare for people. Thanks to it, India is witnessing a revolution in public healthcare. It has ensured financial protection and dignity. India has shown how scale, compassion and technology can further human empowerment,” he wrote.
PM Modi also shared a series of posts from MyGovIndia highlighting the outcomes of the scheme. According to the posts, Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has extended financial protection and universal access to more than 55 crore citizens.
So far, over 41 crore Ayushman Cards have been issued, allowing families to avail cashless treatment at the point of care. Government data shows that between FY 2015 and FY 2022, public health expenditure rose from 29 per cent to 48 per cent, while out-of-pocket expenses dropped from 63 per cent to 39 per cent.
Preventive health has also been a key focus, with 55 crore screenings for hypertension and 48 crore screenings for diabetes conducted at Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs. The government says over 5.7 crore yoga and meditation sessions have been held, while nearly 1.8 lakh Aarogya Mandirs have been set up.
For critical care, the scheme has expanded access to dialysis, cancer treatment and major surgeries. Families have saved an estimated Rs 10,000–15,000 per dialysis session, while access to cancer treatment has risen by 90 per cent.
The Economic Survey 2024–25 noted that Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY helped save over Rs 1.25 lakh crore in out-of-pocket expenditure and prevents around six crore Indians from falling into poverty every year due to health expenses.
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1970384747558768729
Ayushman Bharat is described by the government as the world’s largest health assurance scheme, linking over four lakh facilities, nearly seven lakh professionals and more than 72 crore health records.