New Delhi:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the scheme in the state will be signed between the National Health Authority (NHA), under the aegis of the Union Health Ministry, and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on June 8.
With the signing of the MoU, West Bengal will become the 36th state or Union Territory to implement AB PM-JAY. The development marks a significant step towards achieving equitable and accessible healthcare across the country.
The MoU signing ceremony will be presided over by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY provides health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to eligible beneficiaries. Since its launch, the scheme has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s healthcare transformation, reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and improving access to quality treatment through a vast network of empanelled public and private hospitals.
The implementation of AB PM-JAY in West Bengal is expected to extend financial protection against catastrophic health expenditure to millions of eligible beneficiaries in the state while enabling seamless portability of healthcare benefits across the country. It will also strengthen the state’s healthcare ecosystem by improving access to quality and affordable services.
The scheme was not implemented in West Bengal during the previous eight years under former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, leaving people in the state deprived of its benefits.
