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West Bengal, connected Monday (June 8, 2026), became the 36th State/Union Territory to instrumentality the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
The National Health Authority (NHA), nether the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, for the implementation of AB PM-JAY successful the State. The ceremonial was presided implicit by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari among others.
Congratulating the Government of West Bengal connected joining AB PM-JAY, the Union Health Minister stated that pursuing the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY motorboat successful September 2018 it has present emerged arsenic the world’s largest government-funded wellness assurance programme.
The Union Health Minister highlighted that beneficiaries nether the strategy person availed implicit 12 crore treatments worthy much than ₹1.82 lakh crore, providing important fiscal extortion to mediocre and susceptible families. He noted that 1 of the astir important outcomes of the Government’s efforts has been the simplification successful out-of-pocket expenditure connected healthcare, which has declined from 64.6% earlier 2018 to 43.4% today.
Emphasising the interaction of the scheme, helium said that AB PM-JAY has enabled timely entree to prime healthcare done a cashless, paperless and afloat integer platform.
“The portability diagnostic of PM-JAY would beryllium peculiarly beneficial for migrant workers from West Bengal and their families. Beneficiaries moving oregon residing successful different States would beryllium capable to entree cashless attraction astatine adjacent empanelled hospitals crossed the country, ensuring continuity of healthcare wherever they whitethorn be,’’ said the Minister.
The Union Health Minister besides appreciated the Government of West Bengal for launching the HPV Vaccination Programme connected 30th May 2026 for teen girls aged 14 years. He noted that the inaugural would play an important relation successful preventing cervical crab and informed that implicit 33,000 girls person already been vaccinated nether the programme retired of the targeted 7.65 lakh beneficiaries.
Speaking astatine the occasion, Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister, West Bengal, noted that under the National Health Mission, the Government of India has precocious released ₹527 crore to West Bengal, which volition further enactment healthcare infrastructure and work transportation crossed the State.
The Chief Minister welcomed the implementation of AB PM-JAY successful West Bengal and stated that astir 1.24 crore eligible families successful the State volition present beryllium capable to avail wellness sum nether the scheme, ensuring greater fiscal extortion and entree to prime healthcare services, including the ASHAs, Aanganwadi Workers and elder citizens the full fig of beneficiary families volition spell up to 1.43 crore, helium further added.
