Over 34.7 cr Ayushman cards created, more than 29,000 hospitals empanelled: JP Nadda

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Over 34.7 crore Ayushman cards have been created, while more than 29,000 hospitals have been empanelled till June under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, providing healthcare benefits to thousands in the country, Union Health Minister JP Nadda told the Lok Sabha. 

Nadda informed that till June 30, more than 34.7 crore Ayushman cards have been created under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in 33 States/UTs except Delhi, West Bengal and Odisha.

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number with 511.16 lakh cards, followed by Madhya Pradesh (402.45 lakh) and Bihar (295.26 lakh). Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have the least with 0.14 lakh cards, followed by Lakshadweep (0.35 lakh) and Sikkim (0.77 lakh).

Till June 30, the AB-PMJAY scheme has authorised “7.37 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 1 lakh crore,” the minister said.

AB-PMJAY aims to provide health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to approximately 55 crore beneficiaries corresponding to 12.34 crore families.

Further, Nadda informed that eligible people can avail of cashless and paperless hospitalisation “across more than 29,000 empanelled hospitals in the country”. This includes 12,625 private hospitals.

All empanelled hospitals have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with their respective State Health Agencies (SHAs).

The AB-PMJAY provides cashless healthcare services related to 1,949 procedures across 27 medical specialities including general medicine, surgery, cardiology and oncology, among others.

Under the scheme, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of hospitals empanelled -- 2,634 private and 2,948 public hospitals. It is followed by Tamil Nadu (1,202 private and 996 public hospitals), Andhra Pradesh (1,027 private and 1,406 public hospitals), Gujarat (868 private and 1,747 public hospitals) and Bihar (564 private and 2,968 public hospitals).

Odisha has the least with only one private and 11 public hospitals, followed by Delhi (52 private and 11 public hospitals), and West Bengal (10 private and 27 public hospitals).