Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda inaugurated ‘Aarogya Manthan 2026’ at Vigyan Bhawan on September 25. The event was organized to mark the completion of eight years of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and five years of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
Nadda stated that over 60 crore beneficiaries have been covered under PM-JAY and more than 13 crore hospital admissions have been facilitated, involving medical treatment worth over ₹2 lakh crore. He also mentioned the extension of the scheme to all elderly individuals aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
ABDM has generated over 97.8 crore ABHA IDs and linked more than 121 crore health records to them. More than 5.6 lakh health facilities and approximately 11 lakh healthcare professionals are registered on the digital health ecosystem.
New Digital Health Initiatives Launched
The ‘National Healthcare Providers Registry Mobile App’, ‘NHCX Implementation Guide’ for payers, ‘Model Digital Health Facility Guidebook’, ‘Secure Data Environment (SDE)’, and ‘Auto-adjudication Framework’ for AB PM-JAY claims were launched during this event.
Developed by the National Health Authority with the assistance of IISc Bengaluru, the SDE will provide an authorized environment for analyzing de-identified health data. Its objective is to facilitate health research, program planning, and responsible AI innovation while protecting personal data.
NHA CEO Sunil Kumar Barnwal stated that records for over 13 crore patients have been generated under PM-JAY, creating a resource for health research and analytics.
The program also focused on healthcare quality, interoperability, and digital insurance processes. Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog, called for the large-scale adoption of ABHA and interoperable health records, while IRDAI Chairman Ajay Seth emphasized standardization and transparency in health insurance.
Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Jammu & Kashmir were recognized for high levels of card saturation among ASHA and Anganwadi beneficiaries, while Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat were recognized for claim settlement under inter-state portability.
(PIB)
