Ayushman Bharat: Revolutionizing Healthcare Accessibility and Affordability

The Ayushman Bharat initiative, with its pillars of Ayushman Arogya Mandir and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, aims to provide affordable health services. By increasing government expenditure, screening for diseases, and enhancing health administration, the program seeks to ensure universal health coverage and improve healthcare access and quality.

The Central government's Ayushman Bharat initiative, comprising Ayushman Arogya Mandir and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, is fundamentally reshaping healthcare accessibility and affordability, Union Health Minister J P Nadda declared at a recent event.

Highlighting reforms, he pointed to an increased government expenditure on healthcare, rising from 29% in 2014 to 48% today, effectively reducing out-of-pocket expenses for individuals. Nadda also focused on enhancing healthcare quality by encouraging self-assessments and adopting digital health interventions.

NITI Ayog member Dr V K Paul emphasized the shift towards universal health coverage, noting the comprehensive nature of current health services and the critical role of strong primary healthcare systems in delivering essential interventions and lowering healthcare costs.

(With inputs from agencies.)