NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will launch a 10-day campaign from September 1 to facilitate registration under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
Officials said that the drive will be conducted through public distribution system (PDS) centres across the city, where beneficiaries can enrol by producing their Aadhaar and ration cards.
The health department officials said the campaign aims to simplify access for eligible families who have not yet obtained their Ayushman cards. “Our objective is to ensure that no entitled family is left out of the scheme. Registration at the neighbourhood PDS centre will make the process easier,” a senior official said.
So far, 4.55 lakh Ayushman cards have been issued in the capital, of which 2.28 lakh were provided to senior citizens above 70 years under the Vaya Vandana Yojana. Health Minister Pankaj Singh said more than 5,000 patients in Delhi have already availed free treatment through the programme. “This initiative is about extending quality healthcare to poor families and easing their financial burden,” Singh said.
The government also announced plans to expand the hospital network under the scheme. In the next 10 days, 100 additional hospitals are expected to be empanelled. According to the National Health Authority, 151 hospitals—107 private and 44 government-run—are currently listed under AB-PMJAY in Delhi. Officials indicated that the new list will feature several leading private hospitals, including Fortis Healthcare, with a formal launch of the expanded network likely in the first week of September.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme provides health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh annually to eligible families for secondary and tertiary care, with a top-up of Rs 5 lakh from the Delhi government.