Work done under Ayushman Bharat scheme commended by UN, WHO, World Bank: Harsh Vardhan

By Priyanka Sharma
New Delhi [India], Sept 23 (ANI): The work done under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat in the past one year has received commendation from the United Nations (UN), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World bank alike, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday.
Speaking to ANI on the completion of the first year of Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), he said: "This biggest health insurance scheme has brought smiles on the faces of lakhs of people in the country. People are thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for this blessing. I am glad to inform that Ayushman Bharat scheme has been appreciated by the United Nations, World Health Organisation and World Bank."
Vardhan noted that more than 47 lakh people have received benefits worth Rs 7,500 crores in the past 12 months, and approximately 60 per cent of this amount has been spent on tertiary-care.
"Over 10 crore e-cards have been generated and about 18,000 hospitals have been empanelled under AB-PMJAY. Out of the total hospitals empanelled, 53% are private, especially multi-speciality. There are 9 hospital admissions every minute across India," said the Health minister.
As of today, the scheme has been implemented in 32 States and Union Territories.
A unique feature of AB-PMJAY is its portability, which has helped atleast 42,631 eligible poor and migrant workers to seek treatment outside their states, said the health minister.
AB-PMJAY is the flagship scheme of Government of India that provides a cover of up to Rs 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries).
Last year on 23 September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched PM-JAY from Ranchi, Jharkhand. (ANI)