4.55 lakh Ayushman Bharat cards issued; Delhi launches fresh enrolment drive at PDS centres

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) A 10-day enrolment drive will be held across Delhi's PDS centres from September 1, allowing ration card holders to register for the Ayushman Bharat scheme using their Aadhaar cards, with around 4.55 lakh cards generated so far, an official said.

From September 1 to 10, an enrolment campaign will be conducted across Public Distribution System (PDS) centres in Delhi, where ration card holders can register themselves using their Aadhaar while collecting monthly supplies, an official told PTI.

"This will allow people to conveniently enrol for the scheme close to their homes, ensuring that maximum eligible families are covered," the official said.

He added, "We hope that the 10-day drive will significantly boost registrations, streamline the delivery of health services, and ensure that more people are added to this initiative so that it reaches every household." The initiative, which covers both the Vaya Vandana scheme of the state and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) of the Centre, aims to expand healthcare access for low-income households and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for patients.

Over 5,000 patients have already availed benefits under the schemes, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh told PTI.

Giving further details, he said that so far around 4.55 lakh cards have been generated, including 2.28 lakh Vaya Vandana health cards for senior citizens above 70 years of age.

Currently, around 140 hospitals — both private and those run by the Delhi government — have been empanelled under the scheme, officials said, adding that nearly 70 more hospitals, including several large private facilities, are likely to be brought on board soon.

To strengthen the treatment network, the government is adding more private hospitals to its empanelled list.

"Some private hospitals had earlier flagged concerns over pending dues from previous schemes. We have assured them that arrears will be cleared so that more reputed private hospitals join the network and patients can access quality treatment without delays," the official added.

The Delhi government has released more than Rs 7 crore towards claim payments to hospitals under its health insurance schemes, officials said, adding that more payments are in the pipeline.

Under the scheme, eligible families in Delhi will receive annual health coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh — Rs 5 lakh from the Centre and an additional Rs 5 lakh as a top-up from the Delhi government.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme provides free and cashless treatment for 1,961 medical procedures, covering costs of medicines, diagnostic services, hospitalisation, ICU care, surgeries, and more. The eligible families get health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per year, the statement said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which came to power in Delhi in February after a gap of more than 26 years, approved the scheme at its first cabinet meeting, right after Chief Minister Gupta and six of her ministers took oath of office on February 20. PTI NSM SHS HIG