Bhubaneswar, Oct 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the much-anticipated Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) on Tuesday, October 29, marking a significant step toward strengthening healthcare services across the country.

Odisha's Health and Family Welfare Minister, Mukesh Mahaling, highlighted that under the scheme, citizens aged 70 and above will receive free treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh at any empaneled hospital.

However, the scheme is yet to be implemented in Odisha. Minister Mahaling informed the media that the state government is working on the necessary preparations to integrate the Ayushman Bharat initiative with Odisha’s existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana. He mentioned that health cards covering both schemes are expected to be distributed by the end of the financial year.

The minister added, “We aim to include around 3.5 crore people under the scheme, covering most of Odisha’s 4.5 crore population. Both Phase I and Phase II of the scheme are planned to launch soon, with full implementation expected by the end of this financial year.”

He further noted that with the new combined health card, beneficiaries will have access to over 27,000 hospitals, a substantial increase from the previous network of 950 hospitals.

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