PM Modi hails 7 years of Ayushman Bharat as a healthcare revolution in India

New Delhi — As Ayushman Bharat completes seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded the scheme as a transformative force in India’s public healthcare system. He emphasized that the initiative was designed to anticipate future needs while providing high-quality, affordable healthcare to the masses.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “Today we mark #7YearsOfAyushmanBharat! This initiative anticipated the needs of the future and focused on ensuring top-quality as well as affordable healthcare for people. Thanks to it, India is witnessing a revolution in public healthcare. It has ensured financial protection and dignity. India has shown how scale, compassion, and technology can further human empowerment.”

The government shared a series of posts through MyGovIndia highlighting key achievements of the scheme. According to the reports, Ayushman Bharat — the world’s largest health assurance programme — has reached over 55 crore citizens, providing cashless treatment at the point of care and eliminating out-of-pocket expenditure for millions of families.

Some of the scheme’s major milestones include:

• Over 42 crore Ayushman Cards issued to date.

• Government health expenditure increased from 29% to 48%, while out-of-pocket costs dropped from 63% to 39%.

• More than 81 lakh Vay Vandana Cards issued, 45% of them to women, with Rs 496 crore in treatments already availed.

• 55+ crore screenings for hypertension and 48+ crore screenings for diabetes conducted at Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs.

• Substantial cost savings for families undergoing dialysis and cancer treatment, with a 90% rise in access to oncology care.

• Nearly 1.8 lakh Aarogya Mandirs established, along with over 5.7 crore sessions of yoga and meditation.

Ayushman Bharat links more than 4 lakh healthcare facilities and nearly 7 lakh professionals, generating 72+ crore health records, 81+ crore ABHA IDs, and 41+ crore teleconsultations, enabling care anytime, anywhere.

The Economic Survey 2024–25 notes that AB PM-JAY and other government-supported insurance schemes, including RSBY and state programs, have significantly reduced financial hardship for households, contributing 2.63% to healthcare financing. The survey highlights that six crore Indians are protected from poverty each year through high-cost care coverage under the scheme.

Since its inception, Ayushman Bharat has not only expanded universal access to healthcare but also reinforced India’s focus on prevention, diagnostics, and wellness — marking a new era in public health delivery.

With inputs from IANS