Delhi Government Joins Ayushman Bharat: ₹10 Lakh Health Coverage for Residents, Seniors Included

Delhi Government Joins Ayushman Bharat: The Delhi government has announced that it will, on Saturday, sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union ministry of health and family welfare for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the capital city. This was announced by the Union health ministry.

The MoU signing is to take place between the government of Delhi and the National Health Authority, which is the nodal agency set up at the national level to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme across the country.

Thus, Delhi will be the thirty-fifth state or Union territory in the country to adopt this scheme, which provides free health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family every year for secondary and tertiary hospital care to economically weaker sections of society.

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According to a government communique, the event will be attended by Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and Union health minister JP Nadda.

On Friday, CM Gupta held a Cabinet meeting over the implementation of the scheme.

“Under this agreement, millions of families in Delhi will receive health benefits of up to ₹5 lakh from the central government. Additionally, the Delhi government will provide an extra top-up of ₹5 lakh. The state and central governments will work together for the effective implementation of the scheme,” the CM said after the meeting. It added that a special campaign would also start for the connection of people to this initiative.

Once it becomes effective in the region, the scheme will cover all 1,961 procedures like medicines, medical equipment, testing services, pay for consultations, hospitalization charges, ICU treatment, and surgeries. The CM said, About 46 private hospitals, 34 Delhi government hospitals, and 11 central government hospitals are already empaneled under this scheme.

Implementation of the AB-PMJAY was one of the biggest electoral promises of the BJP in the recent Assembly elections in Delhi, which they won successfully. The former Aam Aadmi Party government rejected it time and again and introduced its own schemes such as the Delhi Arogya Kosh, the Farishtey scheme, and the network of Mohalla Clinics providing primary health services in local neighborhoods. Investigations have begun that all these now stand subsumed under AB-PMJAY, as per officials who know about the matter.

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As soon as Rekha Gupta joined office, BJP incorporated AB-PMJAY in its first cabinet meeting. Gupta has announced in her first budget speech held earlier this month that the Delhi government will not only implement the scheme but will also give all eligible families an additional ₹5 lakh top-up. This would mean ₹10 lakh annual insurance coverage per family.

Last year, the Centre extended the scheme to include all senior citizens above 70 years of age, irrespective of income or socioeconomic background. They would now be eligible to receive free medical treatment of up to ₹5 lakh within a year under the scheme.

Thus, an additional exposure equivalent to Delhi will double that coverage for the eligible beneficiaries in the catch area.

With the introduction of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, the Delhi government is upping its game in terms of public health service delivery under Ayushman Bharat. These centres will be supplementary to Mohalla Clinics and will provide general outpatient services as well as a full array of health care services.

As per officials, 123 Aarogya Mandirs are due to become functional in the financial year 2025-26. As first reported by HT on April 2, the first Arogya Mandir is expected to be rolled out by mid-April.

The centres will not just treat common ailments but also provide maternal and neonatal service, emergency care, geriatric care, and the care of infectious or non-infectious diseases- including palliative care.

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