Over 87 lakh Ayushman cards issued in Punjab, Nadda tells Rajya Sabha

Responding to a question, Nadda says ₹57.96 crore released to Punjab under the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in 2023-24 and the entire amount was utilised.

A total of 87.94 lakh Ayushman cards have been issued in Punjab, including Vay Vandana cards, till January 30 this year, Union health minister JP Nadda told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

BJP president JP Nadda speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the budget session of the Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI)

Responding to a question, Nadda said ₹57.96 crore have been released to Punjab under the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in 2023-24 and the entire amount was utilised.

In 2022-23, ₹111.38 crore was released and the entire amount was utilised, he added.

As of January 29, 2025, 771 hospitals were empanelled under AB-PMJAY, which includes 553 private hospitals in Punjab, the minister said.

“The funding of AB-PMJAY is entirely demand-driven. The NHA releases funds for scheme implementation to the states and UTs on the basis of the actual demand received from them.

“There are no states and UT-wise allocation of funds. As per the defined process, they are required to furnish a utilisation certificate of previously received funds prior to every new fund release,” Nadda said.

The AB-PMJAY is a flagship scheme that provides health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to approximately 55 crore beneficiaries or 12.37 crore families, constituting the economically vulnerable bottom 40% of India’s population. It does not cover primary healthcare.

Recently, the scheme has been expanded to cover 6 crore senior citizens of age 70 years and above belonging to 4.5 crore families, irrespective of their socio-economic status under AB-PMJAY with Vay Vandana cards, Nadda stated.