
NEW DELHI: Odisha has become the 34th state in India to join the central government’s ambitious scheme Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), considered the largest insurance scheme in the world.
In this regard, the Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday by integrating its own scheme, Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, with the Union Health Ministry.
A total of 1.03 crore families in Odisha will benefit under the scheme, with 67.8 lakh families to be supported by the central government.
Speaking at the event, Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda said, “Odisha joining the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme is a historic moment. Forty-five per cent of India's population is covered under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme.”
With Odisha now part of the scheme, only West Bengal and Delhi are yet to join. The programme provides Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 55 crore individuals, corresponding to 12.34 crore families.
Taking a swipe, Nadda remarked, “Political ego should not come in the way of states in choosing people-centric schemes.”
Following the MoU, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people of Odisha. “It was indeed a travesty that my sisters and brothers of Odisha were denied the benefits of Ayushman Bharat by the previous government. This scheme will ensure the highest-quality healthcare at affordable rates. It will particularly benefit the Nari Shakti and the elderly of Odisha,” he posted on X.
The MoU was signed by Odisha's Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Aswathy S., and CEO of the National Health Authority (NHA), L. S. Changsan.
The event was attended by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister K. V. Singh Deo, and Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling. Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Jual Oram were also present.
Under the new arrangement, a single bilingual health card will be issued to each eligible beneficiary, consolidating the benefits of both schemes.
Nadda highlighted the programme's success, stating, “AB-PM-JAY is not only the world's largest health coverage scheme but also the fastest to be implemented since its conception. Since its inception, 8.19 crore hospital admissions have been recorded, with Rs 1.13 lakh crore spent on providing healthcare to marginalised sections of society.”
“This increase in hospital admissions is not due to a rise in diseases, but rather due to the enhanced accessibility to affordable healthcare,” he said.
He noted a significant increase in hospital admissions even in remote, far-flung, and disturbed areas due to AB-PM-JAY. He cited examples, such as Naxal-affected districts of Bastar and Bijapur, where admissions rose by 4.3 per cent. In Madhya Pradesh, hospital admissions increased by 30 times.
Quoting a recent Lancet study on Southeast Asia, Nadda stated, “AB-PM-JAY has increased access to healthcare for cancer patients by 33 per cent. It has also improved early cancer diagnoses and promoted health-seeking behaviour, particularly among women.”
The scheme covers nearly 2,000 medical procedures across 27 specialties, including major surgeries such as bypass surgeries and knee replacements.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed optimism, saying, “People from Odisha, who were previously receiving treatment in around 900 empanelled hospitals, will now have access to cashless and quality treatment in over 29,000 government and private empanelled hospitals.”
He added, “The converged schemes will cumulatively benefit around 4.5 crore people of Odisha with the help of a single card. The significance of this occasion is immense, as it will transform the health status of 86 per cent of Odisha’s population.”
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the MoU “a new beginning in the development story of Odisha’s healthcare sector”.
Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that the converged schemes would significantly augment healthcare services in Odisha. He described it as a progressive step towards attaining the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Utkarsh Odisha’.
The previous BJD regime, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, had refused to implement the central government’s flagship health scheme, citing its existing programme, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. The Majhi government later renamed the state scheme as Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana and integrated it with Ayushman Bharat.