Since its inception in 2018, the Ayushman Bharat-PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has witnessed 6.5 crore hospitalizations, as per data accessed by TOI. Among these, nearly 48% of authorized hospitalizations were accounted for by women.
Officials from the National Health Authority (NHA), the implementing body of the scheme, informed TOI that since its rollout, the scheme has facilitated 6.5 crore hospitalizations, with treatment costs totaling Rs 81,979 crore. Out of this, 3.2 crore hospitalizations, amounting to Rs 39,349 crore, involved women.
It has been highlighted that women beneficiaries have exhibited higher utilization of the scheme compared to men in 10 states/UTs, including Meghalaya (68%), Arunachal Pradesh (57%), Chhattisgarh (56%), Mizoram (54%), Nagaland (53%), Jharkhand (51%), Tripura (51%), and Jammu & Kashmir (50%).
According to NHA records, several top specialties under PMJAY have seen greater utilization by women than men, such as cancer (56%), ophthalmology (54%), otorhinolaryngology or ENT-related (51%), and neonatal care packages (57%).
A senior health ministry official emphasized the pivotal role played by thousands of ASHA and anganwadi workers in enrolling beneficiaries under AB-PMJAY. Additionally, the substantial presence of women healthcare providers at local units (AB-Health Wellness Centres) has contributed to increased utilization among women, who have historically exhibited lower health-seeking behavior.
The official further noted a significant change brought about by the scheme, which has empowered women in healthcare decision-making. With individual enrollment under AB-PMJAY, each family member covered under the scheme receives their Ayushman card, eliminating the need for women to rely on others for seeking medical treatment.
NHA sources revealed that approximately 32 crore beneficiaries have been enrolled under the scheme and issued Ayushman cards to date. Initially, in the scheme’s initial two years, around 10 crore beneficiaries received Ayushman cards. However, with the involvement of ASHAs in the last two years, an additional 20 crore cards have been issued, highlighting the scheme’s expanding reach and impact.