The National Health Authority (NHA) on Saturday concluded its two-day National Review Meeting (Chintan Shivir) on the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), with the Centre and states outlining a roadmap to strengthen digital healthcare, financial sustainability and evidence-based policymaking.
Held on July 17-18 at Madhya Pradesh Bhawan in New Delhi, the meeting brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the NHA, State Health Agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to review the progress of the two flagship schemes, share best practices and discuss priorities for the next phase of health sector reforms.
The second day of the meeting focused on financial sustainability, strengthening public healthcare institutions, health analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerating digital transformation across India’s healthcare ecosystem.
Addressing the valedictory session, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said AB PM-JAY and ABDM have emerged as key pillars of India’s healthcare ecosystem. She said the focus should now shift towards wider adoption and effective utilisation of digital health platforms while ensuring data privacy, cybersecurity and responsible use of health data.
Discussions on financial management centred on improving fund utilisation, financial planning and timely release of grants by states and Union Territories. Participants also deliberated on revised grant-in-aid guidelines and measures to strengthen financial accountability.
Kerala showcased its integrated approach to converging state health protection programmes with AB PM-JAY, while Tamil Nadu presented its experience in reinvesting claim revenues under its Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) to strengthen public hospitals through investments in infrastructure, equipment, human resources and digital systems.
The NHA’s Health Analytics and AI Unit demonstrated advanced analytical tools designed to support evidence-based decision-making under AB PM-JAY. The tools focus on beneficiary portability, district-level accessibility, hospital activity and healthcare utilisation to help states identify service gaps and improve healthcare planning.
The meeting also discussed the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), which aims to facilitate faster settlement of approved AB PM-JAY claims, improving access to working capital for empanelled hospitals while enhancing transparency and efficiency.
National Medical Commission Secretary Dr. Raghav Langer highlighted efforts to integrate Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS) in medical colleges with ABDM standards and expand the use of ABHA-linked clinical records. He also spoke about the development of an NMC dashboard for technology-enabled assessment of medical colleges.
Participants also reviewed the use of artificial intelligence in publicly funded healthcare, with Sarvam AI presenting AI-enabled solutions to strengthen clinical decision support, improve operational efficiency and support health system planning.
The meeting concluded with the presentation of 15 awards recognising states and Union Territories for outstanding implementation of AB PM-JAY and ABDM.
Under AB PM-JAY, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Lakshadweep were recognised for achieving the highest number of VVS Cards per lakh population in their respective categories, while Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya and Andaman & Nicobar Islands were honoured for recording the highest number of biometric-authenticated pre-authorisations.
Under ABDM, awards were presented to Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Ladakh and Lakshadweep for achieving registry saturation. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were recognised for the highest health record linking per lakh population, while Uttar Pradesh received awards for outstanding performance in ABHA creation and adoption of Scan and Pay services.
NHA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal said the review meeting had become a platform for mutual learning between the Centre and states, enabling them to exchange best practices and identify innovative solutions to implementation challenges. He said greater use of digital health technologies, health analytics and evidence-based decision-making would be critical in improving programme implementation and healthcare delivery.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from the Centre and states to strengthen the implementation of AB PM-JAY and ABDM through collaborative governance, digital innovation and financial sustainability, while expanding equitable, affordable and digitally enabled healthcare across the country.
