President Droupadi Murmu announced on Thursday that all citizens aged above 70 years will receive free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament, she highlighted the rapid progress in opening 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras nationwide.
Under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which already provides free health services to 55 crore beneficiaries, President Murmu stated, "Now all elderly above 70 years of age will also be covered and receive the benefit of free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojana."
President Murmu emphasized India's global health contributions by promoting AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy), noting the recent global celebration of the International Day of Yoga. She expressed pride in India's increasing stature globally and its role in fostering a healthy world through yoga and AYUSH practices.
Highlighting India's overall progress, President Murmu remarked, "Today, India is emerging as a leader in every sector from IT to Tourism, and from Health to Wellness."
The AB-PMJAY, recognized as the world's largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, aims to provide coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 crore families. The scheme's Hospital Empanelment and Management (HEM) guidelines mandate State Health Agencies (SHAs) to impanel hospitals under its ambit.
