In a written response to a question, the Minister of State for Health informed the Lok Sabha that the AB-PMJAY offers treatment equivalent to 1,949 operations under 27 different specialties, including general medicine, cardiology, nephrology, and psychiatric disorders. 22 of the 1,949 procedures, the Minister of State for Health claimed, have to do with mental health issues. According to the Minister of State for Health, the initiative authorized 1.35 lakh hospital admissions for treatment connected to mental diseases between 2021–2022 and 2023–2024, totaling ₹120.19 million. According to the Minister of State for Health, the average number of days spent receiving treatment for mental health issues in the fiscal years 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24 is 13, 12, and 11, respectively.
About AB-PMJAY
On September 23, 2018, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, the Prime Minister of India launched Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), marking a significant step towards providing the general public with inexpensive and accessible healthcare. Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) will be implemented per the Ayushman Bharat objective to ensure every citizen receives their fair share of health care. The government is raising the bar for healthcare protection through the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana. With approximately 50 crore beneficiaries, this is the “largest government-funded healthcare program in the world.”
Advantages of scheme
Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) will cover secondary and tertiary care hospitalization costs up to Rs. 5 lakhs per family annually.
- These benefits will be available to around 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families, or roughly 50 crore people.
- At the time of service, PMJAY would give the beneficiary cashless and paperless access to services.
- PMJAY will lessen hospitalization costs that are unaffordable for individuals and lessen the financial risk associated with catastrophic medical events.
- Families with entitlements will not have to worry about money problems to access the high-quality healthcare they require.
When PMJAY is completely operationalized, it will rank as the largest health protection program in the world with 100% government funding. It is a bold move toward the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) objective.
The Scheme’s Features
- With the help of Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) at the primary level and financial assistance for accessing curative care at the secondary and tertiary levels through partnerships with the public and private sectors, Ayushman Bharat aims to advance the promotive, preventive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative sections of universal healthcare.
- The strategy takes the form of a continuum of care, with two interconnected components: the establishment of 1,50,000 health and wellness centers, which will enable individuals to access healthcare more conveniently from home.
- These clinics will offer Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), which includes free basic medications and diagnostic services. It will address non-communicable diseases as well as maternity and child health issues. On April 14, 2018, the Prime Minister opened the first Health and Wellness Center in Jangla, Bijapur, Chhatisgarh.
- The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which offers health insurance coverage for secondary and tertiary treatment to underprivileged and vulnerable households, is the second component.
In addition to other important tasks, the Health and Wellness Centers will be crucial in raising awareness of PMJAY, screening for non-communicable diseases, and monitoring hospitalization instances.
Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana:
Hospitalization coverage ranges from inpatient to outpatient treatment. Reducing out-of-pocket hospitalization costs, meeting unmet needs, and enhancing designated families’ access to high-quality inpatient treatment and day surgery are the goals of the Yojana.
- Through a network of Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP), the Yojana would cover secondary and tertiary care hospitalization up to Rs. 5,00,000 per household per year.
- The EHCP network would give beneficiaries at both public and private hospitals cashless and paperless access to treatments.
The services will include thirteen hundred procedures involving pre- and post-hospitalization, diagnostics, medications, etc.
Through the Yojana, beneficiaries would have national access to services and be free to travel across borders. Through the provider network, the Yojana beneficiaries would have seamless access to services across the nation and be able to travel across borders.
