Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram): Eight years after the launch of Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the flagship health assurance scheme has reached 91,423 beneficiaries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with 4,848 senior citizens aged 70 years and above covered under the Ayushman Vay Vandana initiative.
Launched on September 23, 2018, AB-PMJAY provides health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. Beneficiaries can avail themselves of cashless and paperless treatment at empanelled government and private hospitals.
The scheme has progressively widened its coverage, including the extension of benefits to all citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, under Ayushman Vay Vandana.
In the Islands, the State Health Agency has so far facilitated 3,164 patient referrals under AB-PMJAY, enabling beneficiaries to access specialised and advanced treatment through the empanelled healthcare network.
The implementation of the scheme assumes particular significance in the geographically dispersed Islands, where access to specialised healthcare often involves travel beyond the patient’s home island. The State Health Agency is continuing efforts to expand awareness, facilitate beneficiary access and strengthen delivery mechanisms so that eligible residents can make greater use of the health assurance cover.
